Salary guide, May 2025

Packaging Development Engineer pay in New Orleans-Metairie, LA

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The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in New Orleans-Metairie, LA was $117,990 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $83,790 and $139,860.

The New Orleans-Metairie, LA median is $13,880 above the national median of $104,110, both from BLS May 2025.

Broader occupation · SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers

BLS measures this broader occupation across industries. It does not publish a separate wage for this manufacturing title.

What should you know about new Orleans-Metairie, LA?

Mechanical Engineers in New Orleans-Metairie, LA: median $117,990; published 25th to 75th percentile $83,790 to $139,860.

Annual wage percentiles, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$75,340	$83,790	$117,990	$139,860	$170,810

Mechanical Engineers in New Orleans-Metairie, LA: median $56.73; published 25th to 75th percentile $40.29 to $67.24.

Hourly wage percentiles, New Orleans-Metairie, LA
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$36.22	$40.29	$56.73	$67.24	$82.12

BLS estimated 530 workers employed in this occupation in New Orleans-Metairie, LA. Location quotient: 0.63.

What should you know about united States?

Mechanical Engineers in U.S.: median $104,110; published 25th to 75th percentile $84,130 to $132,590.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$73,990	$84,130	$104,110	$132,590	$164,340

Mechanical Engineers in U.S.: median $50.05; published 25th to 75th percentile $40.45 to $63.75.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$35.57	$40.45	$50.05	$63.75	$79.01

What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?

The published Packaging Development Engineer median is $117,990. The all-occupations median in New Orleans-Metairie, LA is $47,290. Ratio: 2.50 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.63 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.

What should you know about two BLS releases?

Packaging Development Engineer in New Orleans-Metairie, LA, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$95,540	$119,690	$139,080
May 2025	$83,790	$117,990	$139,860

These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers, New Orleans-Metairie, LA. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 17-2141 Mechanical Engineers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

What should you know about nearby areas?

Nearby areas, Packaging Development Engineer
Area	Median	25th to 75th
Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA	$82,900	$77,410 to $125,110
Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA	$118,920	$82,160 to $160,160

All roles in New Orleans-Metairie, LA · National page · Packaging Development Engineer ranked across metros