Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 1,212
Nuclear Engineer
$140,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 64.3%
- Live roles
- 28
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
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design
Senior Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineer-Federal
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Soft Goods Design
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Nuclear Safety Engineer
Lead Nuclear Engineer
Senior Integration Engineer, Nuclear Programs
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Senior Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer
Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) Engineer
Nuclear Licensing Engineer
Nuclear Safeguards and Materials Control & Accountability (MC&A) Analyst/Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$165,750 | 60 |
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Radiant Industries
|
$142,819 | 4 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 3 |
|
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 3 |
Global Engineering & Technology, Inc. (GET)
|
$135,625 | 2 |
Jensen Hughes
|
$118,000 | 2 |
|
Helion
|
$290,500 | 1 |
|
Quast Ltd
|
$262,471 | 1 |
| OK Oklo | $155,000 | 1 |
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 | 53 |
| 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 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $125,000 | 5 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $150,000 per year (typically $122,500–$172,500), versus $140,500 for Nuclear Engineer ($125,372–$158,113). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 7% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Mechanical Engineer and Nuclear 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.