Senior Mechanical Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 282 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Long Beach, Tustin, Carson, Garden Grove.
Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $120,661 |
| 25th | $124,800 |
| 50th (median) | $142,500 |
| 75th | $164,123 |
| 90th | $186,192 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,000 | $109,665 | $134,835 | 84 |
| FY2021 | $130,000 | $120,000 | $145,600 | 237 |
| FY2022 | $129,350 | $115,000 | $150,000 | 222 |
| FY2023 | $136,739 | $120,000 | $159,625 | 168 |
| FY2024 | $140,400 | $127,735 | $163,656 | 184 |
| FY2025 | $144,200 | $125,000 | $167,820 | 171 |
| FY2026 | $138,000 | $124,169 | $162,124 | 111 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median senior Mechanical Engineer salary of $142,500 is worth about $125,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Mechanical Engineers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $123,900 in May 2025 (8,780 employed). The H-1B median here is $142,500, 15% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Rivian | $161,110 | 147 |
| Ford | $144,060 | 10 |
| Harbinger Motors | too few | 9 |
| The Boeing Company | too few | 8 |
| Apple | too few | 5 |
| GrayMatter Robotics | too few | 5 |
| Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America | too few | 4 |
| Garrett Transportation I | too few | 3 |
| Niagara Bottling | too few | 3 |
| 3Deo | 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 | $81,884 | 127 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $106,164 | 245 |
| Senior · Level III | $142,500 | 282 |
| Expert · Level IV | $155,000 | 182 |
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 | $77,314 | $81,884 | 127 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $98,987 | $106,164 | 245 |
| Senior · Level III | $117,104 | $142,500 | 282 |
| Expert · Level IV | $142,355 | $155,000 | 182 |
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.