Senior Mechanical Engineer salary in Houston, TX
Based on 70 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $125,008 |
| 25th | $130,485 |
| 50th (median) | $135,000 |
| 75th | $144,931 |
| 90th | $153,487 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $114,825 | $107,939 | $124,662 | 78 |
| FY2021 | $111,802 | $107,806 | $124,827 | 51 |
| FY2022 | $115,000 | $108,160 | $125,800 | 53 |
| FY2023 | $126,178 | $125,736 | $138,500 | 39 |
| FY2024 | $131,203 | $122,000 | $145,000 | 37 |
| FY2025 | $133,728 | $126,795 | $139,857 | 47 |
| FY2026 | $137,000 | $132,216 | $149,616 | 23 |
Cost of living
Houston's median senior Mechanical Engineer salary of $135,000 is worth about $136,900 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 $135,000, 8% higher.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bechtel Energy | too few | 4 |
| FMC Technologies | too few | 4 |
| Subsea 7 | too few | 4 |
| Absolute Fabrication | too few | 3 |
| Enerflex Energy Systems | too few | 2 |
| Energy Transfer Partners | too few | 2 |
| FlexSteel | too few | 2 |
| Fluence Energy | too few | 2 |
| Parco | too few | 2 |
| Saipem America | too few | 2 |
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.