Mechanical Engineer salary in Boulder, CO

Based on 30 certified H-1B filings in the Boulder, CO metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville.

Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer

Median salary$113,846
Middle 50%$106.7k–$128.3k
vs. national median+5%comparison median $108,000
Filings30FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $75,786 and $164,130.
PercentileSalary
10th$97,977
25th$106,716
50th (median)$113,846
75th$128,292
90th$146,973

Salary by year

Median salary

$70k $100k $130k FY2020: median $78,385 (10 filings) FY2021: median $95,500 (12 filings) FY2022: median $112,486 (19 filings) FY2023: median $110,301 (14 filings) FY2024: median $119,100 (17 filings) FY2025: median $114,430 (18 filings) FY2026: median $110,996 (12 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 10 filings FY20 FY2021: 12 filings FY21 FY2022: 19 filings FY22 FY2023: 14 filings FY23 FY2024: 17 filings FY24 FY2025: 18 filings FY25 FY2026: 12 filings FY26 19
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020$78,385$77,730$109,10610
FY2021$95,500$85,438$123,68812
FY2022$112,486$92,500$133,16619
FY2023$110,301$101,000$118,49714
FY2024$119,100$104,500$128,24317
FY2025$114,430$107,933$128,30018
FY2026$110,996$106,621$120,12412

Cost of living

Boulder's median Mechanical Engineer salary of $113,846 is worth about $108,200 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boulder = 105.2).

Compared with all workers here

All Mechanical Engineers in the Boulder, CO area earned a median of $124,360 in May 2025 (1,130 employed). The H-1B median here is $113,846, 8% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Appletoo few6
Envision Energytoo few4
Quest Global Services-too few3
University of Coloradotoo few3

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II $110,037 16
Senior · Level III too few 5
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$106,621$110,03716

The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.