Salary guide, May 2025
Packaging Engineer pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
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 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $109,990 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $92,180 and $137,060.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median is $5,880 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 York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $79,520 | $92,180 | $109,990 | $137,060 | $165,010 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38.23 | $44.32 | $52.88 | $65.89 | $79.33 |
BLS estimated 6,960 workers employed in this occupation in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Location quotient: 0.38.
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 $109,990. The all-occupations median in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $61,430. Ratio: 1.79 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.38 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 | $90,990 | $111,270 | $140,340 |
| May 2025 | $92,180 | $109,990 | $137,060 |
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 York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $125,780 | $98,690 to $133,620 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $101,470 | $85,300 to $129,580 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters monitors the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ area for Packaging Engineer roles. These professionals fall under the broad Mechanical Engineers SOC category, which reports a local median salary of $109,990. The middle band width for this metro is $44,880, indicating the pay variation within the middle 50% of the local talent market.
The current median shifted by -$1,280 from the $111,270 reported in May 2024. The local median is higher than the national mechanical engineer median of $104,110. National industry-specific medians like $140,600 for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing and $125,380 for Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing serve as national benchmarks. These figures are not specific to the local market and represent broader industrial pay trends.
Nearby comparison metros show different profiles: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury reports a higher median of $125,780, while Trenton-Princeton sits at $101,470. New York occupies the center of this comparative range. All reported amounts are base salary. The BLS excludes performance-based cash and equity from these datasets. Because these figures span the entire mechanical engineering occupation, hiring managers should supplement these base salary medians with internal compensation data to account for bonuses. This is essential for remaining competitive in this high-cost, high-competition metropolitan area.
Engineers in this role handle demanding technical work. Core functions include creating primary and secondary packaging specs, integrating line equipment such as cartoners and palletizers, assessing various materials, and overseeing ISTA testing requirements. The SOC occupational code is broad, meaning these figures represent mechanical engineering as a whole rather than just packaging-specific roles. The area’s location quotient of 0.38 reveals the employment density of mechanical engineers in the metro area. This metric quantifies regional industry structure rather than available talent supply or applicant ease of movement.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How does the negative median change affect my hiring plan?
The median change indicates that base salaries for this broad occupation shifted downward over the past year. You can use this as a baseline but should monitor real-time applicant expectations during your own hiring process.
Why is the local median higher than the national mechanical engineer average?
The New York metropolitan area has a high cost of labor, which consistently keeps base salaries for mechanical engineers above the national average.
Are bonuses included in the $109,990 median?
No, these figures are limited to base annual salary. You must add performance bonuses, profit sharing, and other cash components to reach an accurate total compensation view.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4 · Related wage comparison 5