How many Mechanical Engineers does North Dakota employ?

BLS OES counts 770 Mechanical Engineers employed in North Dakota in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for North Dakota different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. North Dakota's overall index of 88.2 reflects rents 69.3, services 75.0, and goods 97.0.

How wide is the wage spread in North Dakota?

P10 to P90 spans $53,190 to $132,410. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

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

Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.2 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $84,020 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $95,289. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Mechanical Engineers comparing offers across regions.

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 North Dakota?

PE (Professional Engineer) license through North Dakota'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. North Dakota 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 North Dakota?

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.

North Dakota Mechanical Engineer Salary: BLS $84K Median, Real $95K (2026)

TL;DR

Median Mechanical Engineer salary in North Dakota: $84,020 nominal, $95,289 real (BEA RPP basis).
Low BEA RPP (88.2) means the paycheck stretches further than the BLS number suggests; net lift roughly $11,269.
BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $53,190 · P25 $73,140 · P75 $111,240 · P90 $132,410.
Mechanical Engineer ranking: #49 on the BLS table, #47 once cost of living is in.

Wage breakdown — North Dakota

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$53,190	$60,324
P25 (lower quartile)	$73,140	$82,950
P50 (median)	$84,020	$95,289
P75 (upper quartile)	$111,240	$126,160
P90 (top tier)	$132,410	$150,169
Mean	$92,000	$104,339
Employment	770 Mechanical Engineers in North Dakota

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	North Dakota index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	88.2
Goods	97.0
Services	75.0
Rents	69.3

North Dakota sits below the national baseline (RPP 88.2), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 69.3.

After-tax take-home — North Dakota (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)	$84,020	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$9,731	11.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$412	0–2.5% (graduated, 2026)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$6,428	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$67,449	80.3% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$76,496	÷ (88.2 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

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

North Dakota's state tax is light at this income tier (~0.5% effective). The bigger compensation lever is the below-baseline cost of living (RPP 88.2), which lifts real take-home above nominal after-tax — net real after-tax $76,496.

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. North Dakota sits at #49 on nominal pay and #47 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, North Dakota climbs 2 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

How many Mechanical Engineers does North Dakota employ?: BLS OES counts 770 Mechanical Engineers employed in North Dakota in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for North Dakota different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. North Dakota's overall index of 88.2 reflects rents 69.3, services 75.0, and goods 97.0.
How wide is the wage spread in North Dakota?: P10 to P90 spans $53,190 to $132,410. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is North Dakota a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Mechanical Engineers?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 88.2 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $84,020 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $95,289. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Mechanical Engineers comparing offers across regions.
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 North Dakota?: PE (Professional Engineer) license through North Dakota'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. North Dakota 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 North Dakota?: 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.

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 North Dakota 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.