Reason #18: You're Paid Less Than Your Peers

The first thing you notice when you compare offer letters is that your friends in other branches of engineering make more. Electrical, chemical, computer, even civil, their starting salaries pull ahead of yours. You thought mechanical would be “the broadest,” which meant “the safest.” Instead, it meant you were slotted into the lowest-paying tier of the engineering ladder.

This is not an accident. Employers know that mechanical engineering is the most crowded degree pipeline (see Reason #1). They can choose from a glut of résumés, which keeps your wages depressed. As of May 2024, the median annual wage for mechanical engineers stood at $102,320 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024a) whereas Electrical engineers pulled $111,910, and electronics engineers even higher. According to Indeed, in fields like computer science, the gap widens further: mechanical engineers average $85,528, while computer scientists average $108,620.

Meanwhile, software developers, the fucking rock stars of the current economy, average $129,435 a year, with senior roles stretching well beyond that (The Sun, 2024). The difference is not subtle, and it grows as careers progress.

Day to day you will see the gap widen. Electrical engineers at your company sit in fewer meetings and cash bigger checks. Chemical engineers in process industries receive bonuses tied to output, while your role is considered overhead. Software engineers at startups you never heard of jump jobs every two years and double their salaries. You, meanwhile, chase a 3 percent raise that is eaten alive by insurance premiums. By mid-career the discrepancy is glaring. Mechanical engineers plateau while peers in other disciplines keep climbing.

You will find yourself explaining to family members why you are still stuck near the bottom of the engineering pay scale, even after years of experience. And because your title becomes your label (see Reason #15) those same relatives will assume that “engineer” means prestige and prosperity. You will correct them, awkwardly, while your cousin in software drives off in a new car.

It is not that mechanical work has no value. It is that the market has decided it is cheap. And in this field, the market always wins.

You will be an engineer, but you will not be paid like one.

References:

Indeed. (2024). Computer science vs. mechanical engineering: Choosing your career. Retrieved from https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/computer-science-vs-mechanical-engineering

The Sun. (2024, April 15). Why are software developers in demand in the USA? Retrieved from https://www.the-sun.com/money/11009009/why-are-software-developers-in-demand-in-the-usa/

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024a, April 17). Mechanical engineers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024b, April 17). Electrical and electronics engineers. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/electrical-and-electronics-engineers.htm