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Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Virginia Beach, VA

MECHANICAL ENGINEER

Norfolk, VA · On-site +1

$56K - $84K/yr

You will serve as a Mechanical Engineer in the Military Sealift Command (MSC), Engineering ... B., J.D., LL.M., Ph.D., in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the ...

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Entry Level R D Mechanical Engineer information

See Virginia Beach, VA salary details

$16

$31

$52

How much do entry level r&d mechanical engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 7, 2026, the average hourly pay for entry level r&d mechanical engineer in Virginia Beach, VA is $31.51, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $25.53 and $35.58 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineer vs Mechanical Design Engineer?

AspectEntry Level R&D Mechanical EngineerMechanical Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or related fieldBachelor's in Mechanical Engineering or related field
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, development teams, innovation-focused settingsDesign offices, manufacturing facilities, product development teams
Employer & Industry UsageResearch institutions, tech companies, R&D departmentsManufacturers, engineering firms, product companies
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level R&D roles in mechanical engineeringDifferences in design-focused mechanical engineering roles

Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineers focus on developing new technologies and prototypes in research environments, while Mechanical Design Engineers primarily work on designing and improving existing products for manufacturing. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds but differ in daily tasks and work settings.

What are the most commonly searched types of R&D Mechanical Engineer jobs in Virginia Beach, VA? The most popular types of R&D Mechanical Engineer jobs in Virginia Beach, VA are:
What cities near Virginia Beach, VA are hiring for Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineer jobs? Cities near Virginia Beach, VA with the most Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Entry Level R&D Mechanical Engineer job openings in Virginia Beach, VA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% Internship, 91% Full Time, 5% Part Time, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 92% In-person, and 8% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $65,535 per year, or $31.5 per hour.

$106K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago


U.S. Department Of Defense rating

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

Based on 537 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

28th of 49 rated military and defense


Job description

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill positions at various Department of the Navy Commands, including but not limited to the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command.
Pay Ranges:
Washington DC: $121,785 - $158,322 Per Year
Honolulu and Pearl Harbor HI: $111,119 - $144,457 Per Year
Jacksonville FL: $106,437 - $138,370 Per Year
Norfolk VA: $108,019 - $140,426 Per Year
San Diego CA: $121,585 - $158,062 Per Year
Silverdale WA: $119,630 - $155,521 Per YearQualifications:Your resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience as a professional MECHANICAL ENGINEER at or equivalent to the GS-12 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Leading production of facilities mechanical engineering design packages, including design drawings, plans, specifications and design-build requests for proposal; 2) Reviewing facilities mechanical engineering design submittals to provide subject matter expert acceptance recommendations to officials; and 3) Providing facilities mechanical engineering design consultation services to officials during construction. NOTE: This experience must be fully supported by your resume.
Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series AND https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0800/files/all-professional-engineering-positions-0800.pdf
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
Applicants rated ineligible on this vacancy announcement need to reapply and update their application package to be considered on future vacancies filled through this announcement.
Applicants selected and hired through this vacancy announcement need to reapply to be considered on future vacancies filled through this announcement.
Referral lists will be issued on an as-needed basis as vacancies occur.
All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the referral cut-off date.
Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees.
A relocation incentive is generally a single payment intended to offset some of the relocation costs experienced by the selectee. A relocation incentive may be authorized.Education:Applicants must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
Successful completion of a professional engineering degree. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree (or higher) in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET); or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT), or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration For more information about EI and EIT registration requirements, please visit the National Society of Professional Engineers website at: http://www.nspe.org
OR
Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico The FE examination is not administered by the U. S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, please visit: http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/HowtoGetLicensed/index.html.
OR
Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and in engineering that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A (above). The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A (above)
OR
Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor's degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily, there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions.
Employment Type: OTHER

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