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Lead mechanical design engineer salary
Average lead mechanical design engineer salary
$75,506
Understanding Lead Mechanical Design Engineer Salaries
As of October 2025, a Lead Mechanical Design Engineer earns an average salary of $75,506 annually, translating to approximately $36 per hour. These engineers are responsible for designing and evaluating mechanical systems, ensuring functionality and efficiency in various industries.
Factors Influencing Salary
Salary levels can vary based on experience, education, and geographic location. For example, professionals with more experience or advanced degrees often command higher salaries. Additionally, states like California and Texas tend to offer more competitive pay, reflecting the demand for skilled engineers.
Career Opportunities
The job market for Lead Mechanical Design Engineers is robust, with opportunities across sectors such as aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing. Employers value practical experience and proficiency in relevant software tools. Exploring these niches can lead to higher earning potential and career advancement.
Conclusion
By understanding salary dynamics and career opportunities, aspiring Lead Mechanical Design Engineers can strategically navigate their career paths. Utilize resources like state salary data and industry trends to make informed decisions and optimize your career trajectory.
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Where can a Lead Mechanical Design Engineer earn more?
Lead mechanical design engineer salaries by experience level
Lead mechanical design engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average lead mechanical design engineer salary by state
The average lead mechanical design engineer salary in Virginia, California, and New Mexico are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average lead mechanical design engineer salary states are Montana, Mississippi, and North Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for lead mechanical design engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $95,598 | $45.96 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $91,648 | $44.06 |
| 3 | Washington | $91,528 | $44.00 |
| 4 | California | $92,827 | $44.63 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $88,528 | $42.56 |
| 6 | Maryland | $87,914 | $42.27 |
| 7 | Alabama | $83,122 | $39.96 |
| 8 | South Carolina | $83,604 | $40.19 |
| 9 | Delaware | $85,311 | $41.01 |
| 10 | Colorado | $85,840 | $41.27 |
| 11 | Idaho | $82,179 | $39.51 |
| 12 | Arizona | $81,036 | $38.96 |
| 13 | West Virginia | $79,480 | $38.21 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $83,196 | $40.00 |
| 15 | Illinois | $83,462 | $40.13 |
| 16 | New York | $85,320 | $41.02 |
| 17 | Louisiana | $81,072 | $38.98 |
| 18 | Oregon | $83,338 | $40.07 |
| 19 | Alaska | $82,678 | $39.75 |
| 20 | Nevada | $79,207 | $38.08 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $87,940 | $42.28 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $77,942 | $37.47 |
| 23 | Ohio | $74,767 | $35.95 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $74,399 | $35.77 |
| 25 | Texas | $76,805 | $36.93 |
| 26 | Wisconsin | $74,678 | $35.90 |
| 27 | Missouri | $74,917 | $36.02 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $78,484 | $37.73 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $78,510 | $37.75 |
| 30 | New Hampshire | $74,025 | $35.59 |
| 31 | Michigan | $73,498 | $35.34 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $77,954 | $37.48 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $72,658 | $34.93 |
| 34 | Maine | $71,818 | $34.53 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $69,256 | $33.30 |
| 36 | Iowa | $69,980 | $33.64 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $69,452 | $33.39 |
| 38 | Utah | $67,380 | $32.39 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $68,480 | $32.92 |
| 40 | Indiana | $67,813 | $32.60 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $66,727 | $32.08 |
| 42 | Georgia | $68,619 | $32.99 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $65,553 | $31.52 |
| 44 | Florida | $69,082 | $33.21 |
| 45 | Montana | $65,428 | $31.46 |
| 46 | Vermont | $66,871 | $32.15 |
| 47 | North Dakota | $64,214 | $30.87 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $64,332 | $30.93 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $62,903 | $30.24 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $61,781 | $29.70 |
| 51 | Kansas | $60,696 | $29.18 |
Highest paying cities for lead mechanical design engineers
The highest-paying cities for lead mechanical design engineers are San Francisco, CA, Washington, DC, and Broomfield, CO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $101,137 | $48.62 |
| 2 | Washington, DC | $87,935 | $42.28 |
| 3 | Broomfield, CO | $85,831 | $41.26 |
| 4 | Florence, SC | $84,380 | $40.57 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | $83,216 | $40.01 |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $81,003 | $38.94 |
| 7 | Wilmington, NC | $77,904 | $37.45 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $76,828 | $36.94 |
| 9 | Saint Louis, MO | $75,226 | $36.17 |
| 10 | Deltona, FL | $70,200 | $33.75 |
Lead mechanical design engineer salary details
A lead mechanical design engineer's salary ranges from $59,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $95,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a lead mechanical design engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $75,506 | $6,292 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
| 10th Percentile | $59,000 | $4,917 | $28 |
Highest paying lead mechanical design engineer jobs
The highest paying types of lead mechanical design engineers are team lead engineer, senior engineer, and lead design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Chief Engineer | $108,050 | $9,004 | $51.95 | 88,473 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Product Engineer | $89,645 | $7,470 | $43.10 | 157,888 |
| Project Engineer | $75,050 | $6,254 | $36.08 | 176,689 |
| Project Lead Engineer | $106,946 | $8,912 | $51.42 | 98,018 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for lead mechanical design engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Marco Schoen Ph.D.
Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Research Center (MCERC), Idaho State University
Top companies hiring lead mechanical design engineers now:
Which companies pay lead mechanical design engineers the most?
Lead mechanical design engineer salaries at Amazon and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average lead mechanical design engineer salary at companies like Medical Billing and Wabtec Corporation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $132,364 | $63.64 |
| 2 | Hyperloop Transportation Technologies | $111,952 | $53.82 |
| 3 | Medical Billing | $101,352 | $48.73 |
| 4 | Wabtec Corporation | $100,364 | $48.25 |
| 5 | BorgWarner | $96,709 | $46.49 |
| 6 | Jabil | $90,545 | $43.53 |
| 7 | Oracle | $89,198 | $42.88 |
| 8 | Goodwin Recruiting | $85,056 | $40.89 |
| 9 | Eaton | $80,938 | $38.91 |
| 10 | CLUSTER Community Services | $80,514 | $38.71 |
| 11 | Honeywell | $79,867 | $38.40 |
| 12 | Atom Power | $78,650 | $37.81 |
| 13 | PDS Tech | $78,525 | $37.75 |
| 14 | General Electric | $78,128 | $37.56 |
| 15 | Hire Velocity | $77,874 | $37.44 |
| 16 | ZT Systems | $77,493 | $37.26 |
| 17 | Kelly Services | $77,218 | $37.12 |
| 18 | GE Healthcare Camden Group | $76,768 | $36.91 |
| 19 | Boeing | $74,759 | $35.94 |
| 20 | Lt Engineering | $74,196 | $35.67 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Lead mechanical design engineer salary trends
The average lead mechanical design engineer salary has risen by $9,154 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average lead mechanical design engineer earned $66,352 annually, but today, they earn $75,506 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for lead mechanical design engineers over the last decade.
Compare lead mechanical design engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average lead mechanical design engineer salary over time
Compare lead mechanical design engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Lead mechanical design engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $75,500 | $36.30 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $74,100 | $35.60 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $73,200 | $35.18 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $71,900 | $34.58 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $70,500 | $33.90 | +0.7% |
Recently added lead mechanical design engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon | Lead Mechanical Design Engineer, Data Center Design Engineering | Seattle, WA | 06/09/2025 | $105,100 |
| GE Vernova | Lead System Mechanical Design Engineer | Columbia, SC | 06/07/2025 | $86,000 |
| GE Vernova | Lead System Mechanical Design Engineer | Raleigh, NC | 06/07/2025 | $86,000 |
| Impact Solutions | Lead Mechanical Engineer-2D Autocad Design & Team Leadership | Richfield, WI | 05/28/2025 | $90,000 |
| Ultimate Kronos Group | Lead Mechanical Design Engineer | Lowell, MA | 05/28/2025 | $112,300 |
| UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group | Lead Mechanical Design Engineer | Lowell, MA | 05/28/2025 | $112,300 |
| GE Vernova | Lead Nuclear Fuel Mechanical Design Engineer | Wilmington, NC | 05/25/2025 | $86,000 |
| Rix Industries | Mechanical Design Engineer Lead (Hpac) | Sparks, NV | 05/06/2025 | $150,000 |
| Rix Industries | Mechanical Design Engineer Lead (Hpac) | Sparks, NV | 04/28/2025 | $150,000 |
| Actalent | Lead Mechanical Design Engineer | Louisville, KY | 04/16/2025 | $100,000 |
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