Side-by-side distribution
Environmental Engineer
$110,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 41.1%
- Live roles
- 297
Mechanical Engineer
$133,404
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.4%
- Live roles
- 3,572
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Environmental Test Engineer
Space-Based Environmental Monitoring Systems Engineer
Principal / Sr. Principal Engineer Systems - Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (EEE)
Senior Environmental Remediation Engineer
Environmental Engineer, Civil
Senior Environmental Engineer
Integration Engineer, Environmental Test
Mechanical Engineer – Environmental Test Lab
Sr. Environmental Health & Safety Engineer, EHS Training Programs
Sr. Environmental Engineer, Business Operations
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Mechanical Engineer - Data Center Cooling
Staff Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Hardware Systems
Mechanical Engineer, PCBA Test Infrastructure, Robotics
Data Center Mechanical Engineer
Distinguished Technologist Mechanical Engineer (Network Infrastructure)
Senior Mechanical Controls Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Design Engineer, Motor Design & Prototyping
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Barr Engineering
|
$78,000 | 15 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$123,300 | 14 |
|
SpaceX
|
$160,000 | 12 |
|
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 5 |
| SC SLR Consulting | $82,500 | 5 |
|
LaBella Associates
|
$57,450 | 4 |
|
Vast
|
$153,900 | 3 |
| MT Micron Technology | $142,000 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$120,450 | 97 |
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 91 |
Blue Origin
|
$145,228 | 57 |
Applied Materials
|
$147,500 | 48 |
Mindrift
|
$76,960 | 46 |
KLA
|
$159,050 | 33 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$123,612 | 33 |
|
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 28 |
Environmental Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $126,250 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $125,000 | 6 |
| Denver | $107,500 | 3 |
| New York | $80,000 | 9 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $162,275 | 74 |
| Austin | $158,000 | 25 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 64 |
| Boston | $149,250 | 21 |
| Seattle | $145,228 | 67 |
| Denver | $129,313 | 36 |
| New York | $125,000 | 35 |
| Chicago | $119,437 | 18 |
| Atlanta | $111,000 | 10 |
| London | $74,880 | 5 |
Environmental Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Environmental Engineer is $110,000 per year (typically $87,450–$137,919), versus $133,404 for Mechanical Engineer ($107,370–$162,538). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 21% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Environmental 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.