How much does a staff mechanical engineer make?

The average staff mechanical engineer salary in the United States is $108,997. Staff mechanical engineer salaries typically range between $82,000 and $144,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for staff mechanical engineers is $52.4 per hour. Staff mechanical engineer salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Staff mechanical engineers earn the highest average salary in California.

Staff mechanical engineer salary

Q: What state pays Staff Mechanical Engineers the most?

California pays Staff Mechanical Engineers the most in the United States, with an average salary of $134,980 per year, or $64.89 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a staff mechanical engineer?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a staff mechanical engineer if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New Mexico you should be paid close to $122,235 per year.

Quoted expert

Michael Rudisill

Average staff mechanical engineer salary

$108,997

$52.4 hourly rate

Entry-level staff mechanical engineer salary

$82,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Staff Mechanical Engineer Salary

The average salary for a Staff Mechanical Engineer stands at $108,997 annually. This figure can vary based on several factors, including years of experience and geographical location. For instance, engineers with more experience typically command higher salaries, while those in states with a higher cost of living may see increased compensation.

Salary Breakdown by Experience

Entry-level positions start lower, while seasoned professionals can earn significantly more. Additionally, engineers specializing in certain industries may find better opportunities, with some sectors offering salaries that surpass the average.

Top Paying States

States such as California, Texas, and New York consistently report higher salaries for mechanical engineers due to demand and living costs. For those seeking to maximize their earning potential, exploring job opportunities in these regions can be advantageous.

Explore Career Opportunities

For more information on job openings and salary trends in mechanical engineering, visit Zippia. Our platform provides valuable insights into various roles, helping you make informed decisions about your career path.

On this page

Staff mechanical engineer salary by:

Let Zippi find your next staff mechanical engineer job

Let Zippi find your next staff mechanical engineer job

Where can a Staff Mechanical Engineer earn more?

Compare salary by location

171k

151k

131k

111k

91k

71k

51k

Columbus, OH$148,774

Melbourne, FL$81,184

Compare salary by company

159k

139k

119k

99k

79k

Rivian$145,962

Stratolaunch$109,481

Staff mechanical engineer salaries by experience level

Staff mechanical engineer salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Glassdoor and Comparably, the average salary for a staff mechanical engineer typically falls between $108,997 and $154,105.

zippia

$108,997yearly

glassdoor[1]

$154,105yearly

comparably[2]

$137,323yearly

Average staff mechanical engineer salary by state

The highest-paying states for staff mechanical engineers are California, New Mexico, and Washington. The lowest average staff mechanical engineer salary states are Mississippi, North Dakota, and Hawaii.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for staff mechanical engineers

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$122,149	$58.73
2	California	$134,980	$64.89
3	Massachusetts	$114,821	$55.20
4	Arizona	$112,198	$53.94
5	New Mexico	$122,235	$58.77
6	Oregon	$111,003	$53.37
7	Delaware	$112,728	$54.20
8	Nevada	$112,143	$53.91
9	Idaho	$115,680	$55.62
10	Maryland	$112,159	$53.92
11	Colorado	$104,400	$50.19
12	Alaska	$119,748	$57.57
13	District of Columbia	$110,262	$53.01
14	New Jersey	$109,838	$52.81
15	Utah	$96,140	$46.22
16	Wisconsin	$97,459	$46.86
17	New Hampshire	$98,036	$47.13
18	Pennsylvania	$96,003	$46.16
19	West Virginia	$101,695	$48.89
20	Iowa	$101,836	$48.96
21	Virginia	$99,555	$47.86
22	Rhode Island	$96,819	$46.55
23	Tennessee	$95,935	$46.12
24	Illinois	$95,088	$45.72
25	Connecticut	$93,721	$45.06
26	Kansas	$93,393	$44.90
27	Louisiana	$95,821	$46.07
28	Wyoming	$90,840	$43.67
29	Maine	$94,124	$45.25
30	North Carolina	$92,497	$44.47
31	New York	$93,046	$44.73
32	Texas	$89,857	$43.20
33	Minnesota	$90,687	$43.60
34	Michigan	$88,203	$42.41
35	Indiana	$89,089	$42.83
36	Georgia	$89,827	$43.19
37	South Carolina	$92,389	$44.42
38	Alabama	$84,945	$40.84
39	Vermont	$87,619	$42.12
40	Montana	$91,040	$43.77
41	Ohio	$85,943	$41.32
42	Oklahoma	$89,555	$43.06
43	Missouri	$86,812	$41.74
44	Florida	$79,039	$38.00
45	Kentucky	$84,705	$40.72
46	Arkansas	$78,254	$37.62
47	Hawaii	$81,204	$39.04
48	South Dakota	$83,406	$40.10
49	Nebraska	$79,032	$38.00
50	North Dakota	$81,327	$39.10
51	Mississippi	$81,470	$39.17

Top staff mechanical engineer jobs near you

Highest paying cities for staff mechanical engineers

The highest-paying cities for staff mechanical engineers are San Francisco, CA, Burlington, MA, and Baltimore, MD.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$148,774	$71.53
2	Burlington, MA	$114,481	$55.04
3	Baltimore, MD	$112,514	$54.09
4	Chandler, AZ	$112,087	$53.89
5	Hillsboro, OR	$111,104	$53.42
6	Boulder, CO	$104,799	$50.38
7	Newport News, VA	$99,870	$48.01
8	Oak Ridge, TN	$96,872	$46.57
9	Chicago, IL	$95,363	$45.85
10	Farmington, CT	$93,555	$44.98
11	Austin, TX	$90,396	$43.46
12	Atlanta, GA	$89,970	$43.25
13	Troy, MI	$88,467	$42.53
14	Burlington, VT	$87,204	$41.92
15	Shaker Heights, OH	$87,107	$41.88
16	Kansas City, MO	$86,596	$41.63
17	Melbourne, FL	$81,184	$39.03

Staff mechanical engineer salary details

A staff mechanical engineer's salary ranges from $82,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $144,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average staff mechanical engineer salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a staff mechanical engineer's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$144,000	$12,000	$69
75th Percentile	$126,000	$10,500	$61
Average	$108,997	$9,083	$52
25th Percentile	$94,000	$7,833	$45
10th Percentile	$82,000	$6,833	$39

Highest paying staff mechanical engineer jobs

The highest paying types of staff mechanical engineers are senior staff engineer, principal engineer, and team lead engineer.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Equipment Engineer	$97,539	$8,128	$46.89	108,449
Facility Engineer	$89,623	$7,469	$43.09	94,268
Engineer	$92,076	$7,673	$44.27	618,207
Product Engineer	$89,645	$7,470	$43.10	157,888
Tool Engineer	$101,135	$8,428	$48.62	98,936
Lead Engineer	$84,927	$7,077	$40.83	301,777

How would you rate the starting salaries for staff mechanical engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Michael Rudisill

Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University

From what we've seen, salaries haven't been reduced, even though demand is down. I would expect wages and salary progression to remain strong as the need for engineering will only continue to grow.

Top companies hiring staff mechanical engineers now:

Which companies pay staff mechanical engineers the most?

Staff mechanical engineer salaries at Rivian and 10x Genomics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average staff mechanical engineer salary at companies like NIO and Twist Bioscience are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Rivian	$145,962	$70.17
2	10x Genomics	$136,245	$65.50
3	NIO	$135,135	$64.97
4	Twist Bioscience	$134,080	$64.46
5	Intuitive Surgical	$132,916	$63.90
6	Tesla	$132,839	$63.86
7	Futurewei Technologies	$128,737	$61.89
8	Western Digital	$126,084	$60.62
9	Lam Research	$120,410	$57.89
10	Colonial Pipeline	$119,001	$57.21
11	BD	$117,984	$56.72
12	Renesas Electronics	$115,408	$55.48
13	Bloom Energy	$113,515	$54.57
14	Intel	$112,777	$54.22
15	General Electric	$112,496	$54.08
16	App Annie	$110,581	$53.16
17	Altran Corporation	$110,353	$53.05
18	Goodwin Recruiting	$109,682	$52.73
19	Relativity	$109,556	$52.67
20	Stratolaunch	$109,481	$52.64

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$109,000$108,400$107,800$107,200$106,600$106,000

MaleFemale

Staff Mechanical Engineer salary by industry

The average staff mechanical engineer salary varies across industries:

The average staff mechanical engineer salary in the automotive industry is $128,831, the highest of any industry.
The average staff mechanical engineer salary in the finance industry is $110,233.
Staff mechanical engineers in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $98,151, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for staff mechanical engineers

Rank	Industry	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Automotive	$128,831	$61.94
2	Health Care	$110,233	$53.00
3	Technology	$105,663	$50.80
4	Energy	$104,230	$50.11
5	Telecommunication	$102,170	$49.12
6	Construction	$100,826	$48.47
7	Professional	$99,941	$48.05
8	Manufacturing	$98,151	$47.19

High paying staff mechanical engineer jobs

Staff mechanical engineer salary trends

The average staff mechanical engineer salary has risen by $13,213 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average staff mechanical engineer earned $95,784 annually, but today, they earn $108,997 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for staff mechanical engineers over the last decade.

Compare staff mechanical engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average staff mechanical engineer salary over time

Compare staff mechanical engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Staff mechanical engineer salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$109,000	$52.40	+1.9%
2024	$107,000	$51.40	+1.2%
2023	$106,000	$50.78	+1.7%
2022	$104,000	$49.91	+2.0%
2021	$102,000	$48.93	+0.7%

Recently added staff mechanical engineer salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
Bloomenergy	Staff Mechanical Engineer (Fuel Cell Stack Design Engineer)	San Jose, CA	06/30/2025	$130,400
Otis Elevator Company	Staff Mechanical Engineer	Farmington, CT	06/30/2025	$128,000
IonQ	Staff Mechanical Engineer-Trap Control	College Park, MD	06/29/2025	$123,191
Lucid Motors	Staff Mechanical Engineer, HV Battery	Newark, CA	06/29/2025	$161,900
Northrop Grumman	Staff Mechanical Engineer ID	Colorado Springs, CO	06/28/2025	$141,400
PDF Solutions, Inc.	Staff Mechanical Engineer	Milpitas, CA	06/28/2025	$150,000
IONQ	Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer-Quantum Core	Bothell, WA	06/28/2025	$147,336
Leolabs	Staff Mechanical Engineer	Menlo Park, CA	06/27/2025	$175,000
Bruker Corporation	Staff Mechanical Engineer	Santa Barbara, CA	06/19/2025	$154,438
Yoh, A Day & Zimmermann Company	Staff Mechanical Engineer	South San Francisco, CA	06/19/2025	$150,000

Staff mechanical engineer salary FAQs

What state pays Staff Mechanical Engineers the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a staff mechanical engineer?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for staff mechanical engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs