Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$133,850
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.4%
- Live roles
- 3,564
Nuclear Engineer
$133,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 56.9%
- Live roles
- 130
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Mechanical Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer - Data Center Cooling
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
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Staff Nuclear Hardness and Survivability Engineer
Principal Nuclear Engineer
Sentinel - Sr Staff Nuclear Hardness Survivability Engineer - 19988
Senior/Staff Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer
Engineer IV - VI, Nuclear Safety Analysis
Sentinel - Nuclear Surety - Staff Systems Engineer - 20390
Staff Systems Engineer - Nuclear Hardness & Survivability -18271
Staff Nuclear Hardness & Survivability Systems Engineer
Nuclear Licensing Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$121,650 | 107 |
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 91 |
Blue Origin
|
$145,228 | 54 |
Applied Materials
|
$147,500 | 48 |
Mindrift
|
$76,960 | 46 |
KLA
|
$159,050 | 34 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$119,627 | 34 |
Leidos
|
$122,275 | 28 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$123,000 | 14 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$168,188 | 11 |
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 6 |
The Aerospace Corporation
|
$167,850 | 4 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 4 |
| GV GE Vernova | $164,150 | 4 |
|
Amentum
|
$137,500 | 4 |
|
X-energy
|
$133,500 | 3 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $162,275 | 74 |
| Austin | $159,850 | 22 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 64 |
| Boston | $149,250 | 21 |
| Seattle | $145,228 | 64 |
| New York | $128,750 | 34 |
| Denver | $125,500 | 35 |
| Chicago | $119,437 | 18 |
| Atlanta | $111,000 | 10 |
| London | $74,880 | 5 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $147,500 | 9 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $133,850 per year (typically $107,500–$162,550), versus $133,500 for Nuclear Engineer ($120,000–$175,500). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 0% 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.