Why do mechanical engineers make so little money?

Question

I am a high school student looking to get into that field, and heard they only make around 60-70K. It sounds like a pretty tough job.

Answer 1

Because the real engineers take pride in the art of engineering and don't 'quibble' over matters that distract them from the important details.

Answer 2

They are one of the higher paid starting salary engineers.  60k to start out is really good.  If you think that is little money look at it this way, none of the teachers in your high school make that much money and they have had one to two more years education.  Look at monster.com or salary.com and see what engineers with five or ten years experience are making.  Bottom line 60 to 70k in not "little" money.

Answer 3

I have a friend with 14 years of experience as a Mechanical Engineer making $125k (95th percentile in income).  Starting pay is probably only $40-50k, but if you stick with it, get experience with the right company, you can make some good dough.