Salary guide, May 2025
Packaging Engineer pay in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Mechanical Engineers in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX was $105,420 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $87,200 and $132,840.
The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX median is $1,310 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 dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $76,530 | $87,200 | $105,420 | $132,840 | $167,140 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36.79 | $41.92 | $50.68 | $63.87 | $80.35 |
BLS estimated 5,600 workers employed in this occupation in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. Location quotient: 0.73.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $73,990 | $84,130 | $104,110 | $132,590 | $164,340 |
| 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 Engineer median is $105,420. The all-occupations median in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX is $51,440. Ratio: 2.05 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.73 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?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $83,830 | $104,410 | $133,330 |
| May 2025 | $87,200 | $105,420 | $132,840 |
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, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX. 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?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Sherman-Denison, TX | $90,070 | $78,040 to $127,500 |
| Waco, TX | $96,680 | $83,160 to $127,220 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, metro area for the Packaging Engineer position. This role is mapped to the broader Mechanical Engineers SOC. The local median salary is $105,420, with a middle band width of $45,640. This reflects the base pay variance for the core 50% of local mechanical engineering talent.
The current median represents a $1,010 increase from the May 2024 median of $104,410. Dallas tracks higher than the national occupational median of $104,110. National industry-specific medians for sectors like Petroleum and Coal Products ($140,600) and Audio and Video Equipment ($125,380) provide high-end industrial benchmarks. These national manufacturing rows offer valuable context but remain separate from local occupational earnings.
Comparison metros Sherman-Denison and Waco report medians of $90,070 and $96,680. Dallas holds a higher median than these comparison points. All figures represent base annual salary. The BLS excludes all supplemental pay, such as sign-on incentives, performance bonuses, and equity. Because these medians are based on the full mechanical engineering occupation, they aggregate a wide variety of engineering tasks beyond packaging. Recruiters should therefore use these figures as a starting base and layer on their specific internal compensation structures to maintain competitiveness in the Dallas market.
Packaging engineers perform critical technical tasks. Expectations include designing primary and secondary packaging specs, selecting and managing line equipment such as palletizers and case packers, assessing material durability, and performing ISTA testing. While the job title is consistent, specific plant duties vary based on the manufacturing cycle. The area's location quotient of 0.73 indicates a lower concentration of these professionals than the national average. This metric describes regional industry distribution and does not reflect candidate availability or the effort required to fill open positions.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What does the $45,640 middle band width tell me?
The middle band width provides the base salary range for the middle 50% of the local engineering market. It is a useful tool for narrowing your pay offer for standard packaging engineering roles.
Are bonuses accounted for in the Dallas median?
No, the $105,420 median is strictly base salary. It does not reflect any of the variable pay programs your organization uses to attract talent.
Does a 0.73 location quotient suggest limited talent in Dallas?
No, the location quotient measures industry employment concentration in the metro. It shows that packaging-related engineering roles are a smaller share of the local job market compared to the national average.
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