Entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary in Houston, TX
Based on 191 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sugar Land, Waller, Baytown, The Woodlands, Katy.
Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $80,683 |
| 25th | $81,060 |
| 50th (median) | $84,275 |
| 75th | $90,542 |
| 90th | $97,760 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $71,635 | $71,635 | $76,018 | 148 |
| FY2021 | $72,000 | $69,306 | $80,000 | 103 |
| FY2022 | $76,824 | $68,682 | $83,178 | 84 |
| FY2023 | $80,000 | $77,709 | $88,200 | 103 |
| FY2024 | $80,850 | $74,173 | $88,428 | 96 |
| FY2025 | $83,375 | $80,683 | $90,595 | 122 |
| FY2026 | $85,000 | $82,680 | $90,083 | 69 |
Cost of living
Houston's median entry-level Mechanical Engineer salary of $84,275 is worth about $85,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Mechanical Engineers in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $125,350 in May 2025 (8,310 employed). The H-1B median here is $84,275, 33% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Schlumberger Technology | $94,500 | 18 |
| Colonial Staffing Group | too few | 9 |
| Quest Global Services- | too few | 8 |
| Daikin Comfort Technologies Manufacturing, L.P. | too few | 7 |
| OneSubsea | too few | 7 |
| Jindal Pipe | too few | 5 |
| NextRise | too few | 5 |
| Applied Optoelectronics | too few | 4 |
| Global Economic Advantage | too few | 4 |
| Taal Technologies | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $84,275 | 191 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $111,000 | 150 |
| Senior · Level III | $135,000 | 70 |
| Expert · Level IV | $160,000 | 63 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $80,683 | $84,275 | 191 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $106,850 | $111,000 | 150 |
| Senior · Level III | $125,008 | $135,000 | 70 |
| Expert · Level IV | $155,210 | $160,000 | 63 |
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.