Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 47%
- Live roles
- 1,335
Structural Engineer
$127,740
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.7%
- Live roles
- 268
Highest-paying jobs
Data Center Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Commissioning Project Engineer
Staff Mechanical Engineer, Fluid Systems
Mechanical Engineer, Robotics Hardware
Senior Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Design Engineer
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Space Special Programs
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Factory Automation
Principal Mechanical Design & Analysis Engineer, Tooling
Highest-paying jobs
Resident Structural Engineer (PHX)
Senior Spacecraft Structural Analysis Engineer II - TS/SCI Clearance
Structural Design Engineer (SE) - Los Angeles
CNC / Structural Steel Processing Engineer
Structural Engineer, Modular R&D
Structural Engineer, Capacity Delivery
Structural Engineer
Structural/Civil Engineer - Natural Gas Power Projects
Lead Structural Engineer - Building Design
Senior Engineer - Structural - Mi-Tech Services, Inc.
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 68 |
SpaceX
|
$111,875 | 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 |
Antares
|
$150,000 | 11 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| MC Michels Corporation | $147,500 | 11 |
| DG DLR Group | $116,650 | 8 |
Entuitive
|
$86,500 | 7 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$185,000 | 5 |
LaBella Associates
|
$83,500 | 5 |
|
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$164,775 | 3 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 3 |
Brindleyengineering
|
$130,000 | 3 |
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 |
Structural Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $185,000 | 7 |
| Seattle | $185,000 | 6 |
| Austin | $185,000 | 5 |
| New York | $145,000 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $132,358 | 6 |
| Chicago | $114,565 | 5 |
| Toronto | $98,250 | 4 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Structural Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $150,000 per year (typically $120,000–$172,100), versus $127,740 for Structural Engineer ($109,688–$155,000). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 17% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Mechanical Engineer and Structural 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.