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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 220k. The salary range for Mechanical Engineers varies depending on factors such as location, industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
130.5k
Average Salary
3 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average Mechanical Engineer salary is $130,542, which is 15.7% higher than the average startup salary of $112,833. 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
$180,500/yr
Range $140k - $220k
Average
$130,542/yr
Range $105k - $150k
Below Average
$106,375/yr
Range $75k - $121k
Top Locations
The highest average salary a Mechanical Engineer can get in Cambridge, that is $149,500. This pay is 14.5% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary in startups, which is $130,542. Salaries will vary based on your location. The top-paying markets in the US, on average, are currently: Cambridge (avg $149,500 per year), Denver (avg $130,000 per year), Toronto (avg $130,000 per year). Remote jobs often pay based on the location you reside in.
Cambridge
$149.5k
Denver
$130k
Toronto
$130k
Chicago
$127.5k
Seattle
$120k
Los Angeles
$115k
Vancouver
View SalariesSan Diego
View SalariesMinneapolis
View SalariesAustin
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 7.3% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary, which is $196,100. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Genetic Testing (avg $210,500 per year), Ride Sharing (avg $205,000 per year), Mechanical Solutions (avg $205,000 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 7.2% higher than the average Mechanical Engineer salary, which is $130,542. 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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