Principal Mechanical Engineer

Principal Mechanical Engineer Salary in Raleigh, NC

$83.6K

$142.9K

$165.2K

$141,017

/year

$67.80

/hour

Principal Mechanical Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$145,075

Raleigh

North Carolina

$141,017

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    How much does a Principal Mechanical Engineer make in Raleigh, North Carolina?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Principal Mechanical Engineer in Raleigh is $141,017 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $67.80 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,711/week or $11,751/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as $165,244 and as low as $83,594, the majority of Principal Mechanical Engineer salaries currently range between $132,200 (25th percentile) to $151,600 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $158,926 annually in Raleigh. The average pay range for a Principal Mechanical Engineer varies little (about 19400), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

    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 5 Best Paying Related Principal Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Raleigh

    We found a few jobs that pay more than jobs in the Principal Mechanical Engineer category in Raleigh, NC.

    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

    $102,750

    $49.40

    Mechanical Field Engineer

    $83,674

    $40.23

    Mechanic Engineer

    $77,584

    $37.30

    Stationary Engineer

    $75,088

    $36.10

    Entry Mechanical Engineer

    $60,970

    $29.31

    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 Raleigh, NC as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a city average salary of $132,200 to $158,926 or $67.80 an hour, and top 5 highest paying related Principal Mechanical Engineer Jobs in Raleigh.