Mechanical Engineers Salary — Altoona, Pennsylvania

The average Mechanical Engineers in Altoona, Pennsylvania earns $88,940 a year.

$88,940 / year, mean
↓ 22.5% below national average 13th percentile in Pennsylvania

Altoona is among the lowest-paying cities in Pennsylvania for this specific role. That's noticeably below the national average for mechanical engineers, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here runs below the national average, which can offset a lower headline salary. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Pennsylvania

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
70
Estimate confidence
RSE 2.5%
Cost of living 90 #167 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1511 #51 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $178,052 #174 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $60,594 #163 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Altoona ranks #167 for cost of living and #174 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $165,920 San Francisco $158,690 Santa Cruz $139,810 Midland $136,650 Houston $133,040 Peoria $130,540 Santa Maria $130,120 Kennewick $129,450 Seattle $128,610 Salinas $128,240 Lexington Park $128,200 Beaumont $124,940 Corpus Christi $124,680 San Diego $124,420 Los Angeles $123,940 Sacramento $123,710 Baltimore $123,240 Chico $122,870 Bakersfield $121,730 Oxnard $121,350 Tyler $121,250 Columbus $121,030 Bellingham $120,810 Santa Rosa $120,110 Ann Arbor $119,890 Odessa $119,750 Corvallis $119,440 Austin $118,640 Olympia $118,310 New York $117,500 San Antonio $117,050 Detroit $116,620 Portland $116,540 Wenatchee $115,520 Stockton $115,420 Albany $114,720 Dallas $114,530 Napa $114,530 Kokomo $113,720 Charlottesville $113,400 Crestview $112,090 Philadelphia $112,030 Hagerstown $111,780 Yuba City $111,770 Vallejo $111,730 Syracuse $111,150 Longview $110,680 Allentown $110,500 Bremerton $110,160 Elizabethtown $110,100 Sebastian $109,710 Midland $109,620 Chicago $109,570 Modesto $109,400 Trenton $109,380 Ithaca $109,230 Redding $109,170 Tampa $109,050 Palm Bay $109,040 Riverside $108,900 Orlando $108,170 Charleston $108,140 Kalamazoo $107,860 Panama City $107,820 Parkersburg $107,690 San Luis Obispo $107,560 Waco $107,110 Erie $107,050 Abilene $107,000 Richmond $106,960 Sherman $106,860 Springfield $106,770 Niles $106,740 Bend $106,340 Lexington $106,220 Lafayette $106,010 Jacksonville $105,550 Indianapolis $105,190 Longview $105,150 Miami $105,040 Medford $105,030 Killeen $104,990 Walla Walla $104,990 Kiryas Joel $104,790 Chambersburg $104,680 Spokane $104,400 Lansing $104,290 Port St. Lucie $104,260 Bloomington $103,970 Sarasota $103,890 Bloomington $103,620 Pensacola $103,580 Fresno $103,180 Texarkana $103,060 Pittsburgh $102,860 Atlantic City $102,780 Vineland $102,770 Rockford $102,610 Virginia Beach $102,540 Champaign $102,530 Rochester $102,050 Salem $102,000 Roanoke $101,740 Brownsville $101,570 Winchester $101,470 Battle Creek $101,460 Louisville $101,310 Evansville $101,170 Fort Myers $100,880 Flint $100,250 Traverse City $100,230 Buffalo $100,200 Albany $100,190 Amarillo $100,040 Binghamton $99,980 Blacksburg $99,880 Owensboro $99,870 Lynchburg $99,550 Bowling Green $99,520 Paducah $99,440 Monroe $99,290 Fort Wayne $99,110 Wheeling $99,090 Reading $99,080 York $98,650 Michigan City $98,430 Tallahassee $98,350 El Paso $98,210 Harrisburg $98,180 Glens Falls $98,010 Lubbock $98,010 Ocala $97,990 Eugene $97,880 Punta Gorda $97,750 Kingston $97,720 Yakima $97,150 Utica $97,050 Watertown $96,760 Lebanon $96,730 Bay City $96,660 Huntington $96,600 Morgantown $96,380 Elkhart $96,280 Lakeland $96,220 Muskegon $96,120 Grand Rapids $95,940 Dover $95,840 Jackson $95,660 Visalia $95,280 Naples $94,600 Deltona $94,520 State College $94,330 South Bend $94,250 Elmira $94,160 Lancaster $94,040 Saginaw $93,440 Scranton $93,260 Wichita Falls $92,880 Muncie $92,290 Merced $92,180 College Station $91,970 McAllen $91,700 Staunton $91,590 Williamsport $91,320 Weirton $90,210 Kankakee $90,190 Altoona $88,940 Terre Haute $88,530 San Angelo $84,200 Gainesville $83,370 Johnstown $82,500
CityMean salaryvs. Altoona
Abilene, Texas$107,000+20.3%
Albany, Oregon$100,190+12.6%
Albany, New York$114,720+29.0%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$110,500+24.2%
Amarillo, Texas$100,040+12.5%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$119,890+34.8%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$102,780+15.6%
Austin, Texas$118,640+33.4%
Bakersfield, California$121,730+36.9%
Baltimore, Maryland$123,240+38.6%
Battle Creek, Michigan$101,460+14.1%
Bay City, Michigan$96,660+8.7%
Beaumont, Texas$124,940+40.5%
Bellingham, Washington$120,810+35.8%
Bend, Oregon$106,340+19.6%
Binghamton, New York$99,980+12.4%
Blacksburg, Virginia$99,880+12.3%
Bloomington, Illinois$103,620+16.5%
Bloomington, Indiana$103,970+16.9%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$99,520+11.9%
Bremerton, Washington$110,160+23.9%
Brownsville, Texas$101,570+14.2%
Buffalo, New York$100,200+12.7%
Fort Myers, Florida$100,880+13.4%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$104,680+17.7%
Champaign, Illinois$102,530+15.3%
Charleston, West Virginia$108,140+21.6%
Charlottesville, Virginia$113,400+27.5%
Chicago, Illinois$109,570+23.2%
Chico, California$122,870+38.1%
College Station, Texas$91,970+3.4%
Columbus, Indiana$121,030+36.1%
Corpus Christi, Texas$124,680+40.2%
Corvallis, Oregon$119,440+34.3%
Crestview, Florida$112,090+26.0%
Dallas, Texas$114,530+28.8%
Deltona, Florida$94,520+6.3%
Detroit, Michigan$116,620+31.1%
Dover, Delaware$95,840+7.8%
Elizabethtown, Kentucky$110,100+23.8%
Elkhart, Indiana$96,280+8.3%
Elmira, New York$94,160+5.9%
El Paso, Texas$98,210+10.4%
Erie, Pennsylvania$107,050+20.4%
Eugene, Oregon$97,880+10.1%
Evansville, Indiana$101,170+13.8%
Flint, Michigan$100,250+12.7%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$99,110+11.4%
Fresno, California$103,180+16.0%
Gainesville, Florida$83,370-6.3%
Glens Falls, New York$98,010+10.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$95,940+7.9%
Hagerstown, Maryland$111,780+25.7%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$98,180+10.4%
Houston, Texas$133,040+49.6%
Huntington, West Virginia$96,600+8.6%
Indianapolis, Indiana$105,190+18.3%
Ithaca, New York$109,230+22.8%
Jackson, Michigan$95,660+7.6%
Jacksonville, Florida$105,550+18.7%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$82,500-7.2%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$107,860+21.3%
Kankakee, Illinois$90,190+1.4%
Kennewick, Washington$129,450+45.5%
Killeen, Texas$104,990+18.0%
Kingston, New York$97,720+9.9%
Kiryas Joel, New York$104,790+17.8%
Kokomo, Indiana$113,720+27.9%
Lafayette, Indiana$106,010+19.2%
Lakeland, Florida$96,220+8.2%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$94,040+5.7%
Lansing, Michigan$104,290+17.3%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$96,730+8.8%
Lexington, Kentucky$106,220+19.4%
Lexington Park, Maryland$128,200+44.1%
Longview, Texas$105,150+18.2%
Longview, Washington$110,680+24.4%
Los Angeles, California$123,940+39.4%
Louisville, Kentucky$101,310+13.9%
Lubbock, Texas$98,010+10.2%
Lynchburg, Virginia$99,550+11.9%
McAllen, Texas$91,700+3.1%
Medford, Oregon$105,030+18.1%
Merced, California$92,180+3.6%
Miami, Florida$105,040+18.1%
Michigan City, Indiana$98,430+10.7%
Midland, Michigan$109,620+23.3%
Midland, Texas$136,650+53.6%
Modesto, California$109,400+23.0%
Monroe, Michigan$99,290+11.6%
Morgantown, West Virginia$96,380+8.4%
Muncie, Indiana$92,290+3.8%
Muskegon, Michigan$96,120+8.1%
Napa, California$114,530+28.8%
Naples, Florida$94,600+6.4%
New York, New York$117,500+32.1%
Niles, Michigan$106,740+20.0%
Sarasota, Florida$103,890+16.8%
Ocala, Florida$97,990+10.2%
Odessa, Texas$119,750+34.6%
Olympia, Washington$118,310+33.0%
Orlando, Florida$108,170+21.6%
Owensboro, Kentucky$99,870+12.3%
Oxnard, California$121,350+36.4%
Paducah, Kentucky$99,440+11.8%
Palm Bay, Florida$109,040+22.6%
Panama City, Florida$107,820+21.2%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$107,690+21.1%
Pensacola, Florida$103,580+16.5%
Peoria, Illinois$130,540+46.8%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$112,030+26.0%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$102,860+15.7%
Portland, Oregon$116,540+31.0%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$104,260+17.2%
Punta Gorda, Florida$97,750+9.9%
Reading, Pennsylvania$99,080+11.4%
Redding, California$109,170+22.7%
Richmond, Virginia$106,960+20.3%
Riverside, California$108,900+22.4%
Roanoke, Virginia$101,740+14.4%
Rochester, New York$102,050+14.7%
Rockford, Illinois$102,610+15.4%
Sacramento, California$123,710+39.1%
Saginaw, Michigan$93,440+5.1%
Salem, Oregon$102,000+14.7%
Salinas, California$128,240+44.2%
San Angelo, Texas$84,200-5.3%
San Antonio, Texas$117,050+31.6%
San Diego, California$124,420+39.9%
San Francisco, California$158,690+78.4%
San Jose, California$165,920+86.6%
San Luis Obispo, California$107,560+20.9%
Santa Cruz, California$139,810+57.2%
Santa Maria, California$130,120+46.3%
Santa Rosa, California$120,110+35.0%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$93,260+4.9%
Seattle, Washington$128,610+44.6%
Sebastian, Florida$109,710+23.4%
Sherman, Texas$106,860+20.1%
South Bend, Indiana$94,250+6.0%
Spokane, Washington$104,400+17.4%
Springfield, Illinois$106,770+20.0%
State College, Pennsylvania$94,330+6.1%
Staunton, Virginia$91,590+3.0%
Stockton, California$115,420+29.8%
Syracuse, New York$111,150+25.0%
Tallahassee, Florida$98,350+10.6%
Tampa, Florida$109,050+22.6%
Terre Haute, Indiana$88,530-0.5%
Texarkana, Texas$103,060+15.9%
Traverse City, Michigan$100,230+12.7%
Trenton, New Jersey$109,380+23.0%
Tyler, Texas$121,250+36.3%
Utica, New York$97,050+9.1%
Vallejo, California$111,730+25.6%
Vineland, New Jersey$102,770+15.5%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$102,540+15.3%
Visalia, California$95,280+7.1%
Waco, Texas$107,110+20.4%
Walla Walla, Washington$104,990+18.0%
Watertown, New York$96,760+8.8%
Weirton, West Virginia$90,210+1.4%
Wenatchee, Washington$115,520+29.9%
Wheeling, West Virginia$99,090+11.4%
Wichita Falls, Texas$92,880+4.4%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$91,320+2.7%
Winchester, Virginia$101,470+14.1%
Yakima, Washington$97,150+9.2%
York, Pennsylvania$98,650+10.9%
Yuba City, California$111,770+25.7%
Gross salary
88,940/yr
Estimated take-home
68,669/yr
Est. total withheld
22.8%

Single filer, federal + Pennsylvania state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Mechanical Engineers salaries in Pennsylvania → All Mechanical Engineers salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 17-2141 SOC code
Official area Altoona, PA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 11020 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: pa_dor_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Pennsylvania

Population (metro area)
121,854