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Mechanical & Physical Systems salaries in Washington, D.C.

What companies building the future pay, straight from their own job postings.

155 openings with posted pay · Updated Oct 25, 2026

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Mechanical & Physical Systems · Washington, D.C.

155 matching openings with posted pay
1
Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R5620)

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Staff / Principal

$266k–$400k / year
2
Principal Propulsion Engineer (R6453)

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Staff / Principal

$260k–$400k / year
3
Director, Avionics Mechanical Engineering

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Director

$265k–$398k / year
4
In-Space Propulsion Lead

Stoke Space · Kent, WA · Staff / Principal

$262k–$393k / year
5
Director, Mechanical Systems X-BAT (R6348)

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Director

$265k–$370k / year
6
Principal Engineer, Fluid & Thermal Systems (R4793)

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Staff / Principal

$250k–$370k / year
7
Principal Thermal Engineer - Aircraft Avionics & Thermal Systems (R3930)

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Staff / Principal

$250k–$350k / year
8
Deputy Chief Engineer, X-BAT

Shield AI · Seattle, WA · Director

$250k–$350k / year

Median base salary

$190k

155 openings with posted pay

Typical range

$160k–$219k

25th to 75th percentile

Across all 24,960 openings with posted pay, the median is $175k. Annual base salary. Equity and bonus excluded. Methodology

Mechanical & Physical Systems by sector

Bar shows 25th to 75th percentile

Compute & Semiconductors103 openings
Typical range $165k–$235k
$189k
Robotics55 openings
Typical range $150k–$209k
$175k

Mechanical & Physical Systems by location

Bar shows 25th to 75th percentile

Washington, D.C.155 openings
Typical range $160k–$219k
$190k

Methodology

All figures come from salary ranges companies publish on their own job postings, pulled from their applicant tracking systems hourly. Nothing is self-reported or estimated.

Pay in other currencies is converted at fixed recent exchange rates. Hourly, weekly, and monthly pay is annualized. Everything is base salary only. Equity and bonus are excluded because postings rarely quantify them.

Stats are medians and quartiles of each posting's range midpoint, weighted by open roles. Groups with fewer than 30 openings (8 for a single company) are not shown.

Numbers reflect currently open roles, not historical offers. About 54% of tracked openings post pay. US pay-transparency laws drive most disclosure, so coverage skews to US roles. Explore hiring patterns in the hiring report.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median salary at companies building the future?
The median posted base salary is $175k per year, across 24,960 live openings at 525 companies. The middle half of postings falls between $133k and $225k.
Which startup roles pay the most?
AI & Autonomy roles lead at a $231k median, followed by Software & Data ($213k) and Infrastructure, IT, & Security ($200k), based on the ranges companies post on live openings.
Which companies building the future pay the highest salaries?
MatX tops the list with a $394k median posted base salary, ahead of Aaru ($353k) and Anthropic ($345k), among companies with eight or more openings that post pay.
Do startup job postings include salary?
About 54% of the openings BuildList tracks post a pay range. Disclosure is highest at US companies covered by pay-transparency laws, so coverage skews to US roles.
Where does this salary data come from?
From the pay ranges companies publish on their own job postings, pulled hourly from their applicant tracking systems and normalized to annual base salary. Equity and bonus are excluded. Nothing is self-reported or estimated.

These numbers come from 24,960 live openings. Browse the roles behind them.

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