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Hiring a mechanical engineer: the market today

The short answer ·

1,146 open postings ask for a mechanical engineer as of Sep 25, 2026, from 169 employers. The median advertised minimum is $105,817. 608 of those postings are new in the last 30 days, so expect competition.

1,146open postings
169employers hiring
$105,817median advertised minimum
608new in 30 days

Who you're competing with

Northrop Grumman93
RTX (Raytheon)91
Anduril Industries71
SpaceX70
Leidos54

Open postings · Ayla, 2026-09-25

What it pays

Lower quartile$86,800
Median$105,817
Upper quartile$132,000
Federal average, series 0830$136,451

Advertised minimum, 699 postings with pay · OPM actual pay, Jul 2026

Questions buyers ask

How hard is it to hire a mechanical engineer?

Hard. 169 employers are hiring the role right now, led by Northrop Grumman with 93 open postings.

What should I pay a mechanical engineer?

Advertised minimums center on $105,817. Federal staff in series 0830 average $136,451 in actual pay.