Occupations › SOC 17-2144
Mechanical Engineers, R&D
SOC 17-2144. Offered wages, prevailing wage levels and sponsoring employers on H-1B labor condition applications, with PERM counts.
Employers filed 438 labor condition applications for Mechanical Engineers, R&D (SOC 17-2144) in fiscal years 2025–2026, 431 of them certified.
The median offered wage is $88,283 a year (quartiles $68,371–$106,500), below the $122,221 median across all occupations; the median prevailing wage cited is $70,346. Level I is the most common prevailing wage level (35% of filings).
PERM applications for the occupation number 15 with a median offered wage of $70,346.
H-1B labor condition applications
Employer-specific case information was provided to OFLC by employers who submitted foreign labor certification applications. These are not employer responses to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' survey. Wage levels I–IV are as stated on the application. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Applications by fiscal year
Prevailing wage levels
Level I 35%Level II 24%Level III 25%Level IV 8%Not stated 8%
| Measure | SOC 17-2144 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Median offered wage | $88,283 | $122,221 |
| 25th–75th percentile | $68,371–$106,500 | — |
| Share at Level I or II | 59% | 56% |
| Share certified | 98% | 98% |
Wages annualised from the rate and unit on the application; medians use up to 4,000 sampled applications per occupation (438 here).
Offered wages by employer
The list names employers that have a page on this site (organisations above the size floor); the totals above count every record in the files.
Worksite states
Illinois 47 · Massachusetts 47 · Tennessee 41 · California 39 · Texas 35 · New York 28 · Colorado 23 · Michigan 21 · New Jersey 18 · Ohio 18
PERM labor certification
PERM applications as disclosed by OFLC; FY2024 covers the new Form 9089 only. Status is as recorded at the data date. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Median offered wage on PERM applications: $70,346.
| Employer | City | PERM applications |
|---|---|---|
| Wichita State University | Wichita | 4 |
| Fermi Research Alliance, LLC | Batavia | 4 |
| University of Oregon | Eugene | 1 |
| Southwest Research Institute | San Antonio | 1 |
| University of California, Davis | Davis | 1 |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington | 1 |
| Leland Stanford Jr. Univ/SLAC National Accelerator Lab | Menlo Park | 1 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington | 1 |
| Clemson University | Clemson | 1 |
The list names employers that have a page on this site (organisations above the size floor); the totals above count every record in the files.
Questions and answers
What is the H-1B salary for Mechanical Engineers, R&D?
The median offered wage on labor condition applications for SOC 17-2144 is $88,283 a year, with the middle half between $68,371 and $106,500; the median prevailing wage cited is $70,346.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Mechanical Engineers, R&D?
Ut-Battelle, LLC (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) (39), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (38), UChicago Argonne, LLC (31), University of Michigan (21), The Trustees of Princeton University (18)
Which wage level is most common for Mechanical Engineers, R&D?
Level I: Level I 35%, Level II 24%, Level III 25%, Level IV 8% of filings.
How many PERM applications name Mechanical Engineers, R&D?
15 in fiscal years 2024–2026, median offered wage $70,346.
Source: OFLC LCA and PERM disclosure files, fiscal years 2025–2026, through 30 Jun 2026. Occupation pages are built for SOC codes with at least 50 applications. How H-1B wage levels work.