Hiring a mechanical engineering technologist in Reno, NV

Employers in the Reno, NV area pay mechanical engineering technologists and technicians a median of $59,090, with the middle half of the market between $47,030 and $64,600. Reno residents working in architecture and engineering occupations report a median of $91,120, which is 54% above what the metro pays for this role.

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What does a mechanical engineering technologist earn here?

Place of work

What employers pay

Annual wages paid by employers in the Reno, NV area. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
25th percentile	$47,030
Median	$59,090
75th percentile	$64,600

Half of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in this area earn between $47,030 and $64,600. A band set below $47,030 competes for the bottom quarter of the market.

Place of residence

What Reno residents earn

$91,120

Median earnings of Reno residents working in architecture and engineering occupations, 3,692 people. Census ACS 5-year 2023, tables S2401 and B24011. Where people live, not where they work, so it is not the same measurement as the wages beside it.

The 54% figure is not a pay gap. ACS counts the civilian employed population 16 and over, part-time and part-year work included; OEWS counts wage-and-salary jobs only. The two populations differ, so read this number against other cities rather than as a shortfall: the same definitional difference applies to every city equally, which is what makes a city-to-city reading sound.

Residents here already earn more than this role pays, so your offer is competing with whatever they currently commute to.

What does the role actually involve?

Core tasks

Assemble or disassemble complex mechanical systems.
Interpret engineering sketches, specifications, or drawings.
Calculate required capacities for equipment of proposed system to obtain specified performance and submit data to engineering personnel for approval.
Review project instructions and blueprints to ascertain test specifications, procedures, and objectives, and test nature of technical problems such as redesign.
Provide technical support to other employees regarding mechanical design, fabrication, testing, or documentation.

O*NET 29.1, task statements for SOC 17-3027.

Tools and technologies in demand

Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, C++.

O*NET 29.1, flagged in demand or hot for this occupation. Useful as a screen, not as a checklist.

Is the talent actually in Reno?

This is a job zone three: medium preparation needed occupation. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

It does not require a degree, which widens the pool considerably. For context, 35.7% of Reno adults hold one. Census ACS 5-year 2023, table S1501.

The average Reno commute runs 20.6 minutes, which is roughly how far your catchment reaches before candidates start saying no. 10.8% already work from home, so a fully onsite requirement here is competing against that.

How often do these jobs turn over?

In Washoe County, architectural, engineering and related services employs 3,722 and turns over 5.3% a quarter, with 270 hires against 240 separations. Average earnings in that industry run $7,660 a month. Census LEHD Quarterly Workforce Indicators, 2024 Q1, NAICS 5413.

That figure covers every occupation in the industry, not this role alone, so read it as the local churn rate rather than as a number about mechanical engineering technologists and technicians. It still tells you what you are hiring into: a low-churn market, where people do not move often and passive candidates are the whole game.

What does the search cost?

The fee is set by the seniority of the role, never by salary and never by location. Across all six tiers it runs $6,240 to $54,340 per search. A contingency firm hiring at this role's median would bill roughly $11,818 to $17,727 on the first year salary alone.

One owner runs the search from market map to signed offer. Searches typically fill in 23 to 35 days, which is a typical window rather than a promise, and the replacement guarantee runs 45 days at 50% off.

Price this search

Eight questions about the role. Your tier range appears on screen.