Side-by-side distribution
Chemical Engineer
$110,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44%
- Live roles
- 25
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 1,212
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Chemical Propulsion Engineer
3.1. Principal Chemical Process Engineer-Separation
Chemical Propulsion Engineer
2.2 Senior Chemical Engineer- Radiochemistry
3.3. Senior Chemical Process Engineer-Separation
2.4. Chemical Development Engineer II
3.4. Chemical Process Engineer II -Separation
Chemical Engineer – Technical Sales
Chemical Engineer
2.6. Chemical Development Engineer I
Highest-paying jobs
Data Center Research & Development Engineer, Mechanical - Industrial Compute
Mechanical Design Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems
Mechanical Engineer (Contract)
Mechanical Engineer, Sensing
Mechanical Engineer-Federal
Senior Mechanical engineer
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Soft Goods Design
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Phoenix Tailings
|
$125,000 | 6 |
|
Apex Technology, Inc.
|
$155,000 | 2 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 1 |
|
Hire Hangar
|
$105,000 | 1 |
Fuku
|
$5,500 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$168,250 | 58 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$128,692 | 29 |
Relativity Space
|
$165,000 | 20 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 15 |
| DG DLR Group | $120,000 | 13 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$159,150 | 12 |
Figure
|
$185,000 | 11 |
Vast
|
$140,500 | 11 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $182,000 | 16 |
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 53 |
| Seattle | $156,500 | 16 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 54 |
| Boston | $138,238 | 14 |
| London | $134,241 | 3 |
| New York | $131,000 | 27 |
| Denver | $120,462 | 8 |
| Chicago | $115,923 | 11 |
| Atlanta | $105,000 | 3 |
Chemical Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Chemical Engineer is $110,000 per year (typically $106,875–$141,500), versus $150,000 for Mechanical Engineer ($122,500–$172,500). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 36% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Chemical Engineer and Mechanical Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.