How are Massachusetts Mechanical Engineer salaries calculated on this page?

Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.

How many Mechanical Engineers does Massachusetts employ?

BLS OES counts 9,430 Mechanical Engineers employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Where does Massachusetts rank for Mechanical Engineer pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.

Is Massachusetts a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Mechanical Engineers?

No — Massachusetts's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.

Does PE license raise mechanical engineer pay in Massachusetts?

PE (Professional Engineer) license through Massachusetts's engineering board typically adds 5-15% to the BLS-reported median for mechanical engineers, concentrated in industries that require sealed drawings — civil-mechanical (HVAC for buildings), pressure-vessel, oil/gas, and government contracts. In R&D, defense (where security clearance dominates), and consumer-product design, PE has limited wage premium. Massachusetts follows the NCEES path: BS-ABET + FE exam + 4 years of progressive experience + PE exam.

Defense / aerospace vs auto vs HVAC mechanical engineer pay in Massachusetts?

BLS does not segment by industry. In {state}, defense and aerospace primes typically lead on base pay with strong total comp once retention/clearance bonuses layer in (often P75-P90 of the BLS band). Automotive and consumer products sit mid-band. HVAC / building-systems mechanical engineering pays below the BLS median for the first 5 years, then catches up via PE-track roles and design-build firm equity.

BS vs MS in mechanical engineering — does the master's pay back in Massachusetts?

MS-ME in Massachusetts adds roughly $8-15K to starting pay versus BS-only and shortens the path into specialty roles (CFD, FEA, controls, robotics). The 1.5-2 year tuition + foregone earnings opportunity cost typically breaks even 6-9 years out. PhD-MechE only pays back inside research-heavy positions (national labs, R&D-heavy primes) and largely doesn't lift the BLS-tracked engineering-staff wage in standard industry roles.

Massachusetts Mechanical Engineer Salary: BLS $123K Median, Real $114K (2026)

TL;DR

Massachusetts pays Mechanical Engineers a BLS median of $122,670 — the more useful number is $113,926, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Cost adjustment is small — neither an arbitrage state nor a high-cost penalty.
P25-P75 spread runs $96,930 to $138,380; P10 floor $77,960, P90 ceiling $168,530.
Nominal: #5/51 · Real: #6/51 — ranking shifts by 1 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Massachusetts

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$77,960	$72,403
P25 (lower quartile)	$96,930	$90,021
P50 (median)	$122,670	$113,926
P75 (upper quartile)	$138,380	$128,516
P90 (top tier)	$168,530	$156,517
Mean	$120,650	$112,050
Employment	9,430 Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Massachusetts index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	107.7
Goods	100.0
Services	166.1
Rents	130.1

Massachusetts is a high-cost state — RPP 107.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (130.1) and services (166.1).

After-tax take-home — Massachusetts (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Mechanical Engineer)	$122,670	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$18,259	14.9% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$6,134	5% flat 2026 (4% surtax above $1M)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$9,384	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$88,893	72.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$82,557	÷ (107.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Massachusetts state-tax burden means for Mechanical Engineer take-home

Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $88,893 (72.5% of gross). After the 107.7 RPP, real take-home is $82,557.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $102,320 for Mechanical Engineers with mean pay of $110,080 and total employment of 286,760. Massachusetts sits at #5 on nominal pay and #6 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Massachusetts falls 1 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How are Massachusetts Mechanical Engineer salaries calculated on this page?: Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
How many Mechanical Engineers does Massachusetts employ?: BLS OES counts 9,430 Mechanical Engineers employed in Massachusetts in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Where does Massachusetts rank for Mechanical Engineer pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
Is Massachusetts a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Mechanical Engineers?: No — Massachusetts's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
Does PE license raise mechanical engineer pay in Massachusetts?: PE (Professional Engineer) license through Massachusetts's engineering board typically adds 5-15% to the BLS-reported median for mechanical engineers, concentrated in industries that require sealed drawings — civil-mechanical (HVAC for buildings), pressure-vessel, oil/gas, and government contracts. In R&D, defense (where security clearance dominates), and consumer-product design, PE has limited wage premium. Massachusetts follows the NCEES path: BS-ABET + FE exam + 4 years of progressive experience + PE exam.
Defense / aerospace vs auto vs HVAC mechanical engineer pay in Massachusetts?: BLS does not segment by industry. In {state}, defense and aerospace primes typically lead on base pay with strong total comp once retention/clearance bonuses layer in (often P75-P90 of the BLS band). Automotive and consumer products sit mid-band. HVAC / building-systems mechanical engineering pays below the BLS median for the first 5 years, then catches up via PE-track roles and design-build firm equity.
BS vs MS in mechanical engineering — does the master's pay back in Massachusetts?: MS-ME in Massachusetts adds roughly $8-15K to starting pay versus BS-only and shortens the path into specialty roles (CFD, FEA, controls, robotics). The 1.5-2 year tuition + foregone earnings opportunity cost typically breaks even 6-9 years out. PhD-MechE only pays back inside research-heavy positions (national labs, R&D-heavy primes) and largely doesn't lift the BLS-tracked engineering-staff wage in standard industry roles.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 17-2141, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how Massachusetts Mechanical Engineer pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.