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Mechanical Engineer Salary in Georgia

Georgia pays mechanical engineers a mean of $109,650 per year, 25th in the nation, but COL-adjusted purchasing power in Atlanta, Augusta, and Savannah outpaces most coastal states. The state employs 5,290 mechanical engineers, concentrated in logistics, federal nuclear, and aerospace.

Data as of June 2026. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 17-2141. Snapshot taken 6 September 2026.

GA Mean Wage

$109,650

vs national $113,610 (-3.5%)

GA Employment

5,290

concentrated in the Atlanta metro

COL-Adjusted

$115,421

GA COL 95 vs national 100

Three economies, one state

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables for SOC 17-2141, May 2025 release, report a Georgia annual mean wage of $109,650 for 5,290 employed engineers. The state sits -3.5% against the national mean of $113,610 on nominal pay, but the COL adjustment lifts it to $115,421, 14th in the country on purchasing power.

Georgia's ME labor market splits cleanly into three sub-economies. Atlanta is logistics, packaging, and corporate engineering, anchored by UPS, Delta Air Lines, Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and the Southeastern Conference of tech-adjacent product companies. Augusta is federal nuclear and defense, anchored by the Savannah River Site (Department of Energy), Plant Vogtle (the only operating new-build US nuclear plant), and Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon). Savannah is aerospace and ports, anchored by Gulfstream (the largest single-site ME employer in the state) and the Port of Savannah container terminal.

Metro-by-metro pay

Metro	Mean Wage	MEs Employed	Driver Employers
Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta	$105,800	3,700	UPS, Delta Air Lines mechanical engineering, Coca-Cola packaging, Home Depot product engineering, plus a logistics-tech startup base.
Augusta	$108,400	480	Savannah River Site (DOE), Fort Eisenhower, Plant Vogtle nuclear. Highest mean in the state thanks to federal premium.
Savannah	$96,200	520	Gulfstream Aerospace (largest single-site ME employer in the state), JCB North American HQ, Port of Savannah cargo handling.
Athens, Clarke County	$92,800	220	Caterpillar Athens manufacturing, plus University of Georgia research.
Columbus	$90,400	180	Pratt and Whitney Columbus engine assembly, Aflac corporate operations, and Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) civilian engineering.

The cost-of-living math, honestly

Georgia's housing costs sit below the national average outside of Atlanta's intown neighborhoods. Using Regional Price Parities published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state runs around 95 (where 100 is the national average), with Atlanta near 99 and the smaller metros from 88 to 94.

Metro	Nominal Pay	COL Index	Adjusted
Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta	$105,800	99	$106,869
Augusta	$108,400	88	$123,182
Savannah	$96,200	94	$102,340
Athens	$92,800	91	$101,978
Georgia state average	$109,650	95	$115,421

Augusta's $108,400 nominal at COL 88 produces $123,182 in adjusted purchasing power, which beats San Jose, Boston, and NYC after the COL math. Atlanta at $105,800 with COL 99 adjusts to $106,869. The practical takeaway: for engineers willing to live outside Atlanta's intown core, Georgia offers some of the strongest real purchasing power for ME pay in the US.

PE licensing in Georgia

The Georgia State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors administers PE licensure under Georgia Code Title 43 Chapter 15. The path is ABET-accredited BS, FE exam, four years of qualifying experience under a licensed PE, then the PE exam. Georgia publishes its current application and renewal fees on the board's own published fee schedule, and the NCEES PE exam fee is $425. PE licensure adds $10,000 to $18,000 in the Atlanta consulting market (AECOM, Stantec, HDR) and the Georgia Department of Transportation. In Gulfstream, UPS, and Home Depot product engineering, PE licensure adds no compensation premium because the work product is not signed under the engineer's seal.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 17-2141. Snapshot taken 6 September 2026. The state mean, median, hourly and employment figures on this page are read from that release; the national rank is computed from the derived means.

Metro figures are from the BLS OEWS May 2024 metropolitan file and have not yet been re-derived at the May 2025 vintage. State and national figures on this page are May 2025.

Cost-of-living index (100 = national average) derived from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. This is a separate dataset from the BLS wage figures and is not published by BLS.

Frequently asked questions

How much do mechanical engineers make in Georgia?+

Georgia mechanical engineers earn a mean of $109,650 per year ($100,620 at the median) and a mean hourly wage of $52.71, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. The state employs 5,290 mechanical engineers, with the Atlanta metro accounting for the large majority.

Which Georgia metro pays mechanical engineers the most?+

Augusta, surprisingly, leads at a mean of $108,400 for 480 employed engineers. The premium reflects the concentration of federal nuclear (Savannah River Site, Plant Vogtle reactors 3 and 4), Department of Defense (Fort Eisenhower), and Department of Energy engineering work. Atlanta follows at $105,800 for 3,700 engineers, with the larger absolute headcount but lower premium.

Is Georgia mechanical engineering pay worth it after cost of living?+

Yes. The state mean of $109,650 at a COL index of 95 adjusts to $115,421, 14th in the country on purchasing power and above the national mean of $113,610. On the older May 2024 metropolitan release, Augusta's $108,400 mean at COL 88 landed at roughly $123,182 and Atlanta at COL 99 adjusted to $106,869. Georgia is one of the few states where the nominal ME salary, while below California or Massachusetts, produces higher real purchasing power after housing costs.

Where in Georgia are mechanical engineering jobs concentrated?+

Roughly 5,100 mechanical engineers work in Georgia. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta dominates at 3,700, followed by Savannah at 520 (anchored by Gulfstream Aerospace), Augusta at 480 (federal nuclear and defense), Athens at 220 (Caterpillar plus UGA), and Columbus at 180 (Pratt and Whitney engine assembly).

Do mechanical engineers need a PE license to work in Georgia?+

Most product engineering, hardware, and research roles do not require a PE license. The license is mandatory for engineers who sign off on building HVAC, structural mechanical, or public infrastructure designs under Georgia Code Title 43 Chapter 15. The Georgia Professional Licensing Boards Division administers licensing. Georgia publishes its current application and renewal fees on the board's own published fee schedule, and the NCEES PE exam fee is $425.

What is the entry-level mechanical engineer salary in Georgia?+

Entry-level mechanical engineers in Georgia (0 to 2 years experience) typically earn $60,000 to $74,000. Atlanta new-grad offers cluster around $68,000 to $78,000 base. Federal positions at Savannah River Site and the Department of Defense facilities start at GS-7 or GS-9 scale, which translates to roughly $55,000 to $68,000 base plus locality pay, and offer the federal benefits package that compensates for the lower starting cash.

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