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Mechanical Engineer Salary in Wisconsin

Wisconsin pays mechanical engineers a mean of $96,750 per year, 48th in the nation, with the low cost of living recovering most of that gap in real terms. The state employs 7,470 mechanical engineers, with heavy equipment, power generation, and dairy processing as the dominant industries.

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

WI Mean Wage

$96,750

vs national $113,610 (-14.8%)

WI Employment

7,470

balanced across 5 metros

COL-Adjusted

$105,163

WI COL 92 vs national 100

An industrial-heritage labor market

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics tables for SOC 17-2141, May 2025 release, report a Wisconsin annual mean wage of $96,750 for 7,470 employed engineers. The state ranks 48th nationally, -14.8% against the national mean of $113,610 on nominal pay. Cost-of-living adjustment recovers most of that: $105,163 in national-equivalent purchasing power, above the national median but still under the national mean.

Wisconsin's ME labor market is more diversified than its industrial-heritage reputation suggests. Milwaukee-Waukesha is heavy industry: Harley-Davidson HQ and powertrain (the only US-headquartered motorcycle manufacturer at scale), Rockwell Automation, GE Healthcare ultrasound, Briggs and Stratton, and Modine. Madison is power generation and consumer products: Generac (the largest residential standby-generator manufacturer in the US), Lands End operations, plus the UW-Madison research orbit. Oshkosh and Appleton are defense and electronics: Oshkosh Defense produces the JLTV (replacing the Humvee) and the new USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle, plus Plexus electronics manufacturing. Green Bay is paper and food: Procter and Gamble, Schreiber Foods, Georgia-Pacific.

Metro-by-metro pay

Metro	Mean Wage	MEs Employed	Driver Employers
Milwaukee, Waukesha	$108,400	3,700	Harley-Davidson HQ and powertrain, Rockwell Automation, GE Healthcare ultrasound, Briggs and Stratton, Modine Manufacturing.
Madison	$105,200	1,100	Generac (power generation), Lands End operations, plus UW-Madison mechanical engineering research orbit.
Green Bay	$96,400	720	Procter and Gamble paper, Schreiber Foods, Schneider National logistics, plus Georgia-Pacific containerboard.
Appleton, Oshkosh	$102,800	1,400	Oshkosh Defense (HMMWV, JLTV), Plexus electronics manufacturing, plus Kimberly-Clark Neenah.
Racine, Kenosha	$99,800	480	Case IH agricultural equipment, SC Johnson HQ, Snap-on Tools, plus the Wisconsin-Illinois border manufacturing.

The cost-of-living math, honestly

Wisconsin housing costs run materially below the national average outside Madison. Using Regional Price Parities published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the state runs around 92, with Madison the highest at 99 and the smaller metros from 89 to 95.

Metro	Nominal Pay	COL Index	Adjusted
Milwaukee, Waukesha	$108,400	95	$114,105
Madison	$105,200	99	$106,263
Green Bay	$96,400	89	$108,315
Appleton, Oshkosh	$102,800	90	$114,222
Wisconsin state average	$96,750	92	$105,163

Appleton-Oshkosh is the standout: $102,800 nominal at COL 90 produces $114,222 in adjusted purchasing power, comfortably ahead of Boston, Seattle, and San Jose in real terms. The smaller absolute labor market means fewer openings, but the cost-of-living tradeoff is dramatic.

PE licensing in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services administers PE licensure under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 443. The path is ABET-accredited BS, FE exam, four years of qualifying experience under a licensed PE, then the PE exam. Wisconsin charges $68 for the initial credential and $68 to renew on the department's published credential fee table, and the NCEES PE exam fee is $425. PE licensure adds significant compensation in the Milwaukee consulting and HVAC market. It adds no material premium at Harley-Davidson, Rockwell Automation, GE Healthcare, or Oshkosh Defense 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 Wisconsin?+

Wisconsin mechanical engineers earn a mean of $96,750 per year ($95,870 at the median), a mean hourly wage of $46.52, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025. The state employs 7,470 mechanical engineers, with heavy equipment manufacturing, power generation, and dairy processing as the dominant industries.

Which Wisconsin metro pays mechanical engineers the most?+

Milwaukee-Waukesha leads at a mean of $108,400 for 3,700 employed engineers, anchored by Harley-Davidson HQ and powertrain, Rockwell Automation, GE Healthcare ultrasound, Briggs and Stratton, and Modine Manufacturing. Madison follows at $105,200 for 1,100 engineers, dominated by Generac (the largest residential standby-generator manufacturer in the US).

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

Partly. Wisconsin's nominal pay is low: the May 2025 state mean of $96,750 ranks 48th of 51, -14.8% against the national mean. The low cost of living recovers most but not all of that gap. The state mean at COL 92 adjusts to $105,163, which clears the national median of $104,110 but stays below the national mean of $113,610. The metro figures below, which are on the older May 2024 metropolitan release, adjust higher still: Milwaukee at $108,400 with COL 95 adjusts to $114,105 and Appleton-Oshkosh at $102,800 with COL 90 adjusts to $114,222.

What is the Oshkosh Defense premium?+

Oshkosh Defense in Oshkosh produces HMMWVs, the JLTV (replacing the Humvee), and the new USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle. Engineers there typically earn $5,000 to $10,000 above the local commercial-manufacturing scale because of the DOD contracting cost structure. Active security clearance adds another $3,000 to $8,000. The Oshkosh Corporation is the largest single-site ME employer in northeast Wisconsin.

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

Most product engineering, manufacturing, and hardware 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 Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 443. The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services administers licensing. Wisconsin charges $68 for the initial credential and $68 to renew, with credentials expiring 31 July of even-numbered years, plus the NCEES exam fee of $425.

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

Entry-level mechanical engineers in Wisconsin (0 to 2 years experience) typically earn $61,000 to $76,000. Milwaukee-area Rockwell Automation, GE Healthcare, and Harley-Davidson new-grad offers cluster around $66,000 to $80,000 base. Oshkosh Defense, Generac, and Caterpillar Belgium (Wisconsin operations) cluster around $68,000 to $82,000 base.

All 50 States Ranked

Parent hub: every state plus DC, ranked.

Minnesota

Twin Cities medtech cluster: $106,060 mean.

Illinois

Chicago manufacturing and Caterpillar Peoria.

Michigan

Detroit auto cluster: $112,320 mean.

PE License By State

The $425 NCEES fee, verified state fees, and every state board.

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