160 OPEN
SALARIES · MECHANICAL DESIGN
Mechanical Design [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for mechanical design roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$170,000 – $215,000USD
§ 01
Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$125K
[ SENIOR ]
$170K
[ STAFF ]
$215K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$270K
§ 02
Top-paid open roles
- 01Director, Avionics Mechanical EngineeringShield AI·Seattle, Washington$265K–$398K
- 02Senior Manager, Avionics Mechanical Engineering (R4416)Shield AI·Seattle, Washington$220K–$330K
- 03Senior Manager, Mechanical Engineering - Avionics (R4416)Shield AI·Seattle, Washington$220K–$330K
- 04Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer (R5990)Shield AI·Seattle, Washington$208K–$312K
- 05
Principal Mechanical Engineer, Space Special ProgramsAnduril Industries·Chantilly, Virginia, United States; Herndon, Virginia, United States$220K–$292K - 06Manager, Mechanical Engineering - Hardware Test (X-BAT) (R6093)Shield AI·Seattle, Washington$180K–$280K
- 07
Principal Mechanical EngineerAescape·NYC/Metro Area$250K–$280K - 08Senior Mechanical Engineer - LethalityAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$166K–$270K
- 09
Sr. Mechanical EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$180K–$260K - 101Mechanical Design Engineer - Hands Structures & Integration1X Technologies·San Carlos, CA$176K–$253K
§ 03
Top employers hiring mechanical designs
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | 68 | $162K |
| Shield AI | 15 | $200K |
| Voyager Technologies | 12 | $142K |
| Saronic | 10 | — |
| 1X Technologies | 7 | $185K |
| Apptronik | 6 | — |
| Agility Robotics | 5 | $173K |
| Boston Dynamics | 5 | $151K |
§ 04
Top cities hiring mechanical designs
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 41 | $170K |
| Austin | 16 | — |
| Seattle | 14 | $195K |
| Waltham | 7 | $151K |
| San Carlos | 7 | $185K |
| Los Angeles | 6 | $172K |
| Reno | 6 | $159K |
| Mountain View | 5 | $156K |
§ 05
FAQ
- How much do mechanical designs make in the robotics industry?
- Senior mechanical designs in the robotics industry typically earn $170K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $215K and principal-level reach $270K. Numbers are median base salary across 87 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most mechanical designs right now?
- Anduril Industries (68 open roles), Shield AI (15 open roles), and Voyager Technologies (12 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 160 open mechanical design roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most mechanical design jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for mechanical design roles right now are Costa Mesa, Austin, and Seattle. Defense robotics tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do mechanical design roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense robotics programs at Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic, and defense primes require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial robotics roles at Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, 1X, Skydio, and Wayve generally do not. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — many sensor, autonomy, and unmanned-systems roles require it.
§ 06
Browse every mechanical design role