How much does a Mechanical Engineer make in Mississippi?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $90,730 for Mechanical Engineers in Mississippi as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $72,800 and the 75th-percentile is $120,640.

Where does Mississippi rank for Mechanical Engineer pay?

On nominal BLS wages alone, Mississippi 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.

How wide is the wage spread in Mississippi?

P10 to P90 spans $60,440 to $135,760. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

When does this data update?

BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.

Does PE license raise mechanical engineer pay in Mississippi?

PE (Professional Engineer) license through Mississippi'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. Mississippi 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 Mississippi?

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 Mississippi?

MS-ME in Mississippi 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.

Mississippi Mechanical Engineer Salary: BLS $91K Median, Real $105K (2026)

TL;DR

Headline Mechanical Engineer pay in Mississippi is $90,730. Real take-home, after the state's cost-of-living index, lands at $104,537.
After the cost-of-living adjustment, take-home rises by $13,807 versus the BLS median — purchasing-power arbitrage.
Wage envelope: $60,440 (P10) to $135,760 (P90), with quartiles at $72,800 and $120,640.
Nominal: #46/51 · Real: #25/51 — ranking shifts by 21 positions after RPP.

Wage breakdown — Mississippi

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$60,440	$69,638
P25 (lower quartile)	$72,800	$83,879
P50 (median)	$90,730	$104,537
P75 (upper quartile)	$120,640	$138,999
P90 (top tier)	$135,760	$156,420
Mean	$96,510	$111,197
Employment	1,210 Mechanical Engineers in Mississippi

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Mississippi index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	86.8
Goods	94.4
Services	83.5
Rents	54.9

Mississippi sits below the national baseline (RPP 86.8), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 54.9.

After-tax take-home — Mississippi (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)	$90,730	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$11,208	12.4% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$3,137	4.0% above $10K (2026, HB 1733)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,941	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$69,444	76.5% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$80,012	÷ (86.8 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

Mid-band state-tax burden at 3.5% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $69,444 (76.5% of gross). After the 86.8 RPP, real take-home is $80,012.

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. Mississippi sits at #46 on nominal pay and #25 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Mississippi climbs 21 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Mechanical Engineer make in Mississippi?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $90,730 for Mechanical Engineers in Mississippi as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $72,800 and the 75th-percentile is $120,640.
Where does Mississippi rank for Mechanical Engineer pay?: On nominal BLS wages alone, Mississippi 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.
How wide is the wage spread in Mississippi?: P10 to P90 spans $60,440 to $135,760. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
When does this data update?: BLS OES releases a new May reference set roughly each spring; we re-run the ETL pipeline within two weeks of release. BEA RPP refreshes annually. The last-synced timestamp at the top of this page reflects the most recent build.
Does PE license raise mechanical engineer pay in Mississippi?: PE (Professional Engineer) license through Mississippi'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. Mississippi 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 Mississippi?: 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 Mississippi?: MS-ME in Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.