Expert Mechanical Engineer salary in Philadelphia, PA

Based on 20 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Newark, Camden, West Chester, Fort Washington, New Castle.

Also listed as: Mechanical Design Engineer

Median salary$140,845
Middle 50%$130.3k–$165.3k
vs. all levels here+28%comparison median $109,866
Filings20FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $127,400 and $207,830.
PercentileSalary
10th$127,400
25th$130,280
50th (median)$140,845
75th$165,263
90th$195,102

Salary by year

Median salary

$100k $125k $150k FY2020: median $118,300 (12 filings) FY2021: median $111,302 (14 filings) FY2022: median $116,600 (15 filings) FY2026: median $140,250 (13 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 12 filings FY20 FY2021: 14 filings FY21 FY2022: 15 filings FY22 FY2023: 9 filings FY23 FY2024: 6 filings FY24 FY2025: 7 filings FY25 FY2026: 13 filings FY26 15
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$118,300$114,329$132,50912
FY2021$111,302$107,231$129,10014
FY2022$116,600$110,094$126,65015
FY2023–––9
FY2024–––6
FY2025–––7
FY2026$140,250$127,986$155,00013

Cost of living

Philadelphia's median expert Mechanical Engineer salary of $140,845 is worth about $137,300 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Philadelphia = 102.6).

Compared with all workers here

All Mechanical Engineers in the Philadelphia, PA area earned a median of $104,410 in May 2025 (4,850 employed). The H-1B median here is $140,845, 35% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
Holtec Internationaltoo few4

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I $78,475 24
Mid-level · Level II $95,077 46
Senior · Level III $115,566 37
Expert · Level IV $140,845 20

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Entry-level · Level I$75,525$78,47524
Mid-level · Level II$92,352$95,07746
Senior · Level III$109,866$115,56637
Expert · Level IV$127,400$140,84520

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.