Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.8%
- Live roles
- 1,339
Nuclear Engineer
$141,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 73%
- Live roles
- 37
Highest-paying jobs
Data Center Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Commissioning Project Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Robotics Hardware
Senior Mechanical engineer
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Space Special Programs
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Factory Automation
Principal Mechanical Design & Analysis Engineer, Tooling
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Nuclear Materials Engineer
Senior/Staff Nuclear Safety Analysis Engineer
Nuclear Safety Programs Engineer
Nuclear Design Basis Engineer
Nuclear Consequence Analysis Engineer
Senior Nuclear Thermal-Hydraulics Engineer
Senior Nuclear Methods Engineer
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Senior Nuclear Engineer
Computational Nuclear Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 68 |
SpaceX
|
$115,000 | 28 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$165,000 | 22 |
Syska Hennessy Group
|
$132,627 | 20 |
Vast
|
$147,213 | 16 |
| DG DLR Group | $114,565 | 16 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$139,750 | 14 |
ALTEN Technology USA
|
$111,433 | 12 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
General Matter
|
$125,000 | 7 |
|
Antares
|
$167,500 | 5 |
|
Radiant Industries
|
$126,488 | 5 |
Global Engineering & Technology, Inc. (GET)
|
$135,625 | 2 |
Jensen Hughes
|
$118,000 | 2 |
|
Helion
|
$290,500 | 1 |
| OK Oklo | $155,000 | 1 |
Kairos Power
|
$153,000 | 1 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $188,500 | 20 |
| San Francisco | $165,000 | 57 |
| Austin | $165,000 | 16 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 55 |
| New York | $131,750 | 26 |
| Boston | $128,692 | 7 |
| Denver | $125,000 | 11 |
| Chicago | $114,565 | 10 |
| Atlanta | $102,500 | 4 |
Nuclear Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 11 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Nuclear Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $150,000 per year (typically $120,000–$171,500), versus $141,000 for Nuclear Engineer ($125,744–$167,500). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 6% 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.