The average salary for an engineer was reported at just slightly over $65,000 in 2002. The top 10% of all engineers earned more than $90,000.

Mechanical engineers out of college typically earn a starting salary of $40,000+. This is in comparison to the typical starting salary of $32,000 for the liberal arts major just out of college. Mechanical engineers usually start out at a higher salary than business majors as well.

Remember, these are just estimates. Your salary will depend on a number of factors as well as the current state of the economy. You may visit Payscale.com to get a premium Payscale report and see what you're worth in the job market -- today and in the future.