Mechanical Engineer (R&D) salary
From 345 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 17-2144: Mechanical Engineers, R&D
- Also filed as: Researcher Iii Mechanical Engineering
At a glance
- Mostly Level I (entry-level). 34% of Mechanical Engineer (R&D) filings are Level I, compared with 19% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). 32 filings (9% of the total), median $122,088.
- Median up 59% since FY2020. From $62,000 in FY2020 to $98,313 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Mechanical Engineer (R&D) H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 345 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Mechanical Engineer (R&D) jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 17-2144, Mechanical Engineers, R&D). The median base salary is $90,063, 27% below the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $70,344 and $111,120. The most common wage level is Level I (entry-level), at 34% of filings. Boston, MA has the most filings (35), and Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) is the employer that files the most (32).
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Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Mechanical Engineer (R&D) jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
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Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Mechanical Engineer (R&D)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology31 filings · 9%$72,700
UChicago Argonne25 filings · 7%$90,063
University of Michigan17 filings · 5%$66,000
Brookhaven National Laboratory15 filings · 4%$139,984
Transportation Research Center15 filings · 4%$90,000
Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab14 filings · 4%$130,000
The Trustees Of Princeton University14 filings · 4%$79,428
Wichita State University14 filings · 4%$71,406
Southwest Research Institute13 filings · 4%$102,000
Employers with the most Mechanical Engineer (R&D) filings. Bar: share of all Mechanical Engineer (R&D) filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 34% of filings
Mid-level · 30% of filings
Senior · 29% of filings
Expert · 8% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $67,000 | 106 |
| Level II · Qualified | $95,283 | 93 |
| Level III · Experienced | $100,779 | 90 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $140,650 | 26 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Mechanical Engineer (R&D) pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 11 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $72,700 | 35 |
| Chicago, IL | $90,063 | 32 |
| Knoxville, TN | $122,088 | 32 |
| New York, NY | $135,106 | 20 |
| San Francisco, CA | $116,000 | 20 |
| Denver, CO | $98,313 | 19 |
| Bellefontaine, OH | $90,000 | 15 |
| Trenton, NJ | $79,428 | 14 |
| Wichita, KS | $71,406 | 14 |
| San Antonio, TX | $102,000 | 13 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $64,500 | 12 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,002 |
| 25th | $70,344 |
| 50th (median) | $90,063 |
| 75th | $111,120 |
| 90th | $138,395 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $62,000 | $53,000 | $75,024 | 107 |
| FY2021 | $70,000 | $54,750 | $85,025 | 196 |
| FY2022 | $68,114 | $55,674 | $85,000 | 190 |
| FY2023 | $76,238 | $60,000 | $93,104 | 248 |
| FY2024 | $87,396 | $70,000 | $106,500 | 196 |
| FY2025 | $85,000 | $68,302 | $100,060 | 214 |
| FY2026 | $98,313 | $75,282 | $125,640 | 131 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Mechanical Engineer (R&D) make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Mechanical Engineer (R&D) jobs is $90,063 (345 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $70,344 and $111,120.
What does an entry-level Mechanical Engineer (R&D) earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $67,000. Level I accounts for 34% of Mechanical Engineer (R&D) filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Mechanical Engineer (R&D)s?
Ut-Battelle, Llc (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) (32), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (31) and UChicago Argonne (25) filed the most Mechanical Engineer (R&D) LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.