Average Mechanical Engineers Salary in Salinas, CA
Mechanical Engineers in Salinas, CA earn a median annual salary of $132,560, which is +27.3% compared to the national median. There are 70 workers employed locally in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates for Salinas, CA (metro area).
Local wage range
- 10th
- $69,240
- 25th
- $98,130
- Median
- $132,560
- 75th
- $155,450
- 90th
- $175,200
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
This local range is the useful part of the page. The median tells you the center of the market in Salinas, CA, while the percentile band shows how compressed or wide the local pay distribution actually is.
Cost-of-living context
Services: 154.2%
Rents: 145.7%
Comparable metros for this occupation
| Metro | Median annual wage | Compare | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $168,030 | Compare | 5,540 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $161,370 | Compare | 5,150 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $135,530 | Compare | 540 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $132,920 | Compare | 190 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $128,740 | Compare | 980 |
| Peoria, IL | $128,710 | Compare | 2,120 |
The point of this table is not random nearby places. It is to show the other labor markets where this same occupation looks stronger or weaker on the same OEWS release.
Top occupations in Salinas, CA
| Occupation | Median annual wage | LQ |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Physicians | $410,370 | 2.45 |
| Physicians, All Other | $384,990 | 0.61 |
| Chief Executives | $226,270 | 0.91 |
| Architectural And Engineering Managers | $187,730 | 0.25 |
| Dentists, General | $185,040 | 1.11 |
| Psychiatrists | $178,630 | 1.13 |
| Natural Sciences Managers | $171,290 | 0.31 |
| Physician Assistants | $170,180 | 0.65 |
Salinas, CA has salary data for 374 occupations. The highest-paid occupation in this area is Family Medicine Physicians.
Trend for Mechanical Engineers in Salinas, CA
Historical trend data is not yet available for this occupation in this area.
Outlook and page notes
Nationally, Mechanical Engineers are projected to change by +9.1% from 2024 to 2034, with 18,100 annual openings.
Use this page to answer three separate questions: what the occupation pays here, how large the local market is, and whether this market is unusually concentrated for the occupation.
For metro pages in particular, read long-term trend rows as directional until the area comparability layer is fully wired. OEWS area definitions can change over time, and that matters more at the metro level than at the state level.