Side-by-side distribution
Mechanical Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 46.6%
- Live roles
- 1,212
Structural Engineer
$127,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.1%
- Live roles
- 244
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
Senior Mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineer-Federal
Lead Mechanical Engineer, Data Center Design
Mechanical Design Engineer
Mechanical Engineer, Soft Goods Design
Highest-paying jobs
Structural Engineer (Contract)
Structural Engineer - AI Trainer
CNC / Structural Steel Processing Engineer
Structural Engineer, Buildings
Senior Structural & Mechanical Engineer
Staff Materials & Processes Engineer, Structural Composites
Structural/Civil Engineer - Natural Gas Power Projects
Principal Mechanical Engineer – Structural and Vibration Analyst
Lead Structural Engineer - Building Design
Senior Engineer - Structural - Mi-Tech Services, Inc.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| MC Michels Corporation | $147,500 | 11 |
| DG DLR Group | $118,768 | 8 |
Entuitive
|
$86,500 | 8 |
LaBella Associates
|
$83,500 | 5 |
Brindleyengineering
|
$120,000 | 4 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$212,000 | 3 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$150,500 | 2 |
|
Olsson
|
$142,250 | 2 |
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 |
Mechanical Engineer vs Structural Engineer: which pays more?
The median for Mechanical Engineer is $150,000 per year (typically $122,500–$172,500), versus $127,500 for Structural Engineer ($108,375–$154,500). That puts Mechanical Engineer about 18% 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.