Principal Mechanical Engineer

Principal Mechanical Engineer Salary in Texas

$80.1K

$137K

$158.4K

$135,160

/year

$64.98

/hour

Principal Mechanical Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$145,075

Texas

Texas

$135,160

    Do you get a good deal as a Principal Mechanical Engineer?

    Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

    Take The Breakroom Quiz

    Breakroom banner

    How much does a Principal Mechanical Engineer make in Texas?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Mechanical Engineer in Texas is $135,160 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $64.98 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,599/week or $11,263/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $158,382 and as low as $80,122, the majority of Principal Mechanical Engineer salaries currently range between $126,700 (25th percentile) to $145,300 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $152,325 annually in Texas. The average pay range for a Principal Mechanical Engineer varies little (about 18600), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    Texas ranks number 50 out of 50 states nationwide for Principal Mechanical Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Principal Mechanical Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Principal Mechanical Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Principal Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Texas

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Principal Mechanical Engineer job is above the average in Texas in Texas. Topping the list is Eagle Pass, , with Bastrop, and Austin, close behind in the second and third positions. Austin, beats the average in Texas by $8,640 (6.4%), and Eagle Pass, furthers that trend with another $14,507 (10.7%) above the $135,160 average.

    With these 10 cities paying on average above the average for Texas, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Principal Mechanical Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Eagle Pass, and Addison, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Principal Mechanical Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Eagle Pass

    $149,667

    $71.96

    Bastrop

    $144,289

    $69.37

    Austin

    $143,800

    $69.13

    West Odessa

    $143,611

    $69.04

    Dallas

    $143,513

    $69.00

    Midland

    $142,433

    $68.48

    Wichita Falls

    $141,212

    $67.89

    Harlingen

    $141,112

    $67.84

    Abilene

    $140,442

    $67.52

    Addison

    $140,441

    $67.52

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Principal Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Texas

    Analyzing similar jobs related to the Principal Mechanical Engineer job category in Texas, we found 5 that were relevant. However, none pay more than the $135160 state average for Principal Mechanical Engineer jobs.

    Nevertheless Mechanical Project Manager, Mechanical Field Engineer, or Mechanic Engineer may still be interesting positions to explore.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Mechanical Project Manager

    $98,482

    $47.35

    Mechanical Field Engineer

    $80,194

    $38.55

    Mechanic Engineer

    $74,357

    $35.75

    Stationary Engineer

    $71,969

    $34.60

    Mechanical Drafter

    $52,219

    $25.11

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Principal Mechanical Engineer salary in Texas as of May 2026. Shows a bar chart with salary percentiles ranging from $126,700 to $152,325 annually, with the Texas average at $135,160 per year or $64.98 per hour. Includes a list of the top 10 highest paying cities in Texas for Principal Mechanical Engineer jobs, with Eagle Pass leading at $149,667 annually.