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Mechanical Engineer salary in Australia
The median full-time salary for a mechanical engineer is $135,900 per annum, before tax, up $28,300 since 2018.
- Mining and resources roles pay above most manufacturing work, and site rosters with travel and camp allowances lift a package further again.
- Chartered status through Engineers Australia, and the amount of project responsibility you hold, both move the number.
- Ask what an offer includes beyond base pay, particularly site allowances, rostered overtime and whether any bonus is discretionary.
The median salary rose by $28,300 between 2018 and 2024; the dashed line shows a projection to 2028 based on the real ABS Wage Price Index growth rate, not a role-specific forecast.
Roles that pay more than mechanical engineer
The largest typical pay rise is $47,100 a year, moving into Engineering Manager.
- Engineering Manager+$47,100/yr
- Mining Engineer+$47,000/yr
- Mechatronics Engineer+$7,700/yr
How to negotiate a higher mechanical engineer salary
- Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time mechanical engineer salary is $135,900; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
- Use demand as leverage. Mechanical Engineers are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
- Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Engineering design and analysis and CAD and technical drawing tend to command a premium over general mechanical engineer experience, name them specifically when you ask.
- Bring a real alternative to the table. Engineering Manager pays a typical $47,100 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
- Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
- Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."
Mechanical Engineer salary questions
How much do mechanical engineers earn in Australia?
The median full-time salary for a mechanical engineer is $135,900 a year before tax. Seniority, specialisation, sector and the award or agreement you're employed under all move it.
Is mechanical engineer pay rising or falling?
The median mechanical engineer salary is up $28,300 since 2018. Figures from 2025 onward on this page are a projection, not a measured result.
What pays more than mechanical engineer?
Engineering Manager pays a typical $47,100 a year more and draws on similar skills to mechanical engineer.
Related salaries
- Engineering Manager salary
- Production Engineer salary
- Mining Engineer salary
- Mechatronics Engineer salary
- Aerospace Engineer salary
- Mechanical Engineering Technician salary
Pay advice
- How to ask for a pay rise, and back it up with real numbersWhat national wage growth looks like right now, how to work out a figure for your own role, wording you can adapt for the conversation, and what to do if the answer is no.
- The average salary in Australia (2026)Full-time adults in Australia averaged $2,083.70 a week in May 2026. Several measures get called the average salary, and this explains which one fits your situation.
- Overtime pay, time in lieu and what your award saysOvertime rates come from your award or agreement, not one national rule. How rates work, what happens on a salary, and how time off in lieu works.