Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$133,404
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 43.4%
- Live roles
- 3,576
Petroleum Engineer
$98,200
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 10.8%
- Live roles
- 37
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 Engineer, Dynamometer and Actuator Testing Infrastructure
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Northrop Grumman
|
$120,450 | 97 |
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 89 |
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 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Chevron
|
$90,608 | 2 |
FormFactor
|
$157,508 | 1 |
Residential Home Health and Hospice
|
$88,400 | 1 |
Mechanical Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $161,000 | 72 |
| Austin | $158,000 | 25 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 68 |
| Seattle | $145,228 | 67 |
| Boston | $144,113 | 22 |
| Denver | $129,313 | 34 |
| New York | $128,750 | 36 |
| Chicago | $119,437 | 18 |
| Atlanta | $111,000 | 10 |
| London | $74,880 | 5 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Petroleum Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $133,404 per year (typically $107,466–$162,500), versus $98,200 for Petroleum Engineer ($84,604–$120,377). 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 Mechanical Engineer and Petroleum 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.