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Mechanical Engineer - Federal Salaries of 2022
Pay Rates for "Mechanical Engineer"
How much does a Mechanical Engineer in the federal government get paid? $121,166.92* *Based on the 2022 average.Mechanical Engineer was the 150th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2022, with 1,201 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration hired the most employees titled Mechanical Engineering, with an average salary of $93,554.
Government Mechanical Engineering jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Mechanical Engineering job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.
Agencies that have hired a Mechanical Engineer
Mechanical Engineer Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Mechanical Engineer is $121,166.92. The highest paid Mechanical Engineer made $203,700 in 2022.
Common Mechanical Engineer Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Mechanical Engineering Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 781 |
| FV - Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation Plan | 199 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 153 |
| RG - Scientists Appointed As Fellows And Compensated Under 42 U.s.c. 209(g). Includes Non-citizens Whose Employment | 21 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not Elsewhere Specified | 19 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 14 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 4 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 3 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 3 |
| EJ - The Department Of Energy Organization Act Excepted Service | 1 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 1 |
| PG - Printing Office Grades | 1 |
| SN - Senior Level System | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $36,070.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $152,771.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 0800 ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Mechanical Engineering jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equal Opportunity Assistance | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Agricultural Market Reporting | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Patent Classifying | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Data Transcriber | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Animal Science | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
Average Mechanical Engineering Pay Trend from 2004 to 2022
In 2004, the average pay for a Mechanical Engineer was $85,621. Since then, the average pay has increased to $121,167 in 2022.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0830.