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Mechanical Engineer Salary and Equity in 2026
How much do Mechanical Engineers expect to make at US-based startups? The average expected salary for Mechanical Engineers in a startup is 131k per year, with a range from 75k to 198k. The salary range for Mechanical Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
130.7k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Mechanical Engineer salary is $130,708, which is 1.3% higher than the average startup salary of $129,000. Mechanical Engineer salaries are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: location, years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$180,417/yr
Range $160k - $198k
Average
$130,708/yr
Range $105k - $145k
Below Average
$105,917/yr
Range $75k - $121k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer can get in Denver, that is $147,000. This pay is 12.5% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary in startups, which is $130,708. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Denver (avg $147,000 per year), Seattle (avg $120,000 per year), Los Angeles (avg $115,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Denver
$147k
Seattle
$120k
Los Angeles
$115k
Toronto
$113k
Vancouver
$112k
Chicago
$109k
San Diego
View SalariesAustin
View SalariesMinneapolis
View SalariesBoston
View SalariesSan Francisco Bay Area
View SalariesIndustries
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer can get in Genetic Testing, that is $210,500. This pay is 5.1% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary, which is $200,300. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Genetic Testing (avg $210,500 per year), Waste Management (avg $207,500 per year), Analytics (avg $206,500 per year).
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $140,000. This pay is 7.1% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary, which is $130,708. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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