Salaries and workforce statistics[edit]

The total number of engineers employed in the U.S. in 2015 was roughly
1.6 million. Of these, 278,340 were mechanical engineers (17.28%), the
largest discipline by size.[23] In 2012, the median annual income of
mechanical engineers in the U.S. workforce was $80,580. The median
income was highest when working for the government ($92,030), and
lowest in education ($57,090).[24] In 2014, the total number of mechanical
engineering jobs was projected to grow 5% over the next decade. [25] As of
2009, the average starting salary was $58,800 with a bachelor's degree. [26]

Subdisciplines[edit]
The field of mechanical engineering can be thought of as a collection of
many mechanical engineering science disciplines. Several of these
subdisciplines which are typically taught at the undergraduate level are
listed below, with a brief explanation and the most common application of
each. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to mechanical engineering,
while others are a combination of mechanical engineering and one or more
other disciplines. Most work that a mechanical engineer does uses skills
and techniques from several of these subdisciplines, as well as specialized
subdisciplines. Specialized subdisciplines, as used in this article, are more
likely to be the subject of graduate studies or on-the-job training than
undergraduate research. Several specialized subdisciplines are discussed
in this section.