Talent Maps / Orlando / Mechanical Engineers

Orlando Mechanical Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What mechanical engineers earn in metro Orlando, which defense, energy, theme park and public employers hire them, where in the metro they work, and the projects competing for them.

Hiring mechanical engineers in Orlando?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers mechanical engineers in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and employer data published from 2023 to 2026. Our mechanical engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Orlando civil, electrical and industrial engineer talent maps.

$103,380Median mechanical engineer pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

$140,050+What the top 10% of Orlando mechanical engineers earnBLS, May 2025

2,957,672People living in metro Orlando in July 2025Census Bureau, 2026

$6BEpic Universe, which opened on May 22, 2025Fast Company, 2025

$374MAirside 2 gate expansion, with at least 7 new gates, at Orlando InternationalGOAA, 2025

3,141Siemens Energy employees in metro Orlando, moving to Lake Nona in 2027Orlando Economic Partnership

Mechanical engineer salaries in Orlando

The median mechanical engineer in metro Orlando earns $103,380 a year, $3,400 above the Florida median of $99,980 and $730 below the national median of $104,110. The hourly median is $49.70. Orlando falls behind at the top. Its 90th percentile is $140,050, against $153,950 statewide and $164,340 nationally.

Annual pay percentile	Orlando metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$72,620	$66,260	$73,990
25th percentile	$82,830	$79,090	$84,130
Median	$103,380	$99,980	$104,110
75th percentile	$128,920	$128,320	$132,590
90th percentile	$140,050	$153,950	$164,340

Mechanical Engineers (SOC 17-2141). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians, the people who build, test and install equipment for engineers, earn a median of $53,140 in Orlando, below the Florida median of $59,720 and the national median of $74,510. Pay ranges from $37,830 at the 10th percentile to $80,530 at the 90th.

What the spread means in practice: Orlando pays slightly more than Tampa, where the median is $100,290, but Tampa is ahead at the top, with a 90th percentile of $159,050 against Orlando’s $140,050. Engineers with senior experience can look across both metros.

Where Orlando’s mechanical engineering work is

Defense, sensors and simulation

Lockheed Martin runs two Orlando divisions. Missiles and Fire Control, at 5600 Sand Lake Road, builds precision engagement systems and products such as Apache fire control sensors and the F-35 electro-optical targeting system. Rotary and Mission Systems, on Global Innovation Circle, works on training devices and simulation.

Lockheed Martin had 14,000 employees in the Orlando area on the Orlando Economic Partnership’s top employers list, updated in November 2025.

Energy equipment

Siemens Energy has had a presence in the Orlando region for more than 40 years. The Economic Partnership’s list shows 3,141 employees. The company plans to move from Central Florida Research Park to a new campus in Lake Nona in 2027.

Theme parks and resorts

Walt Disney World has 80,000 cast members and plans to add 5,000 jobs over five years. Universal Orlando has 32,084 employees. Disney announced in 2023 that it would spend about $60 billion on its parks business over 10 years, and Universal opened Epic Universe in May 2025.

Utilities, airport and hospitals

Orlando Utilities Commission operates six solar facilities totaling 271.5 MWac and plans to convert Stanton Unit 2 to natural gas by the end of 2027. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority runs Orlando International Airport. AdventHealth is building a $423 million hospital in Lake Nona, with ESA as architect and Brasfield & Gorrie as general contractor.

Where the talent sits: Orlando submarkets

Central Florida Research Park

DefenseElectronics

The 1,027 acre park south of UCF has 126 partners and 10,000 employees. AMD opened a research and design center there in July 2025.

Sand Lake Road and southwest Orlando

DefenseSensors

Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control campus is at 5600 Sand Lake Road.

Lake Nona

EnergyHealthcare

Siemens Energy is relocating there in 2027, and AdventHealth’s 10-story hospital is under construction on Narcoossee Road.

Orlando International Airport

AviationLogistics

Airside 2 gets at least 7 gates, and a 2023 board update said Terminal C Phase 2 planning covers 16 to 24 more.

Tourism corridor

AttractionsResorts

Disney World, Universal Orlando and Epic Universe are the region’s main sources of attraction and building systems work.

What’s driving demand for mechanical engineers in Orlando

Theme park construction. Epic Universe cost about $6 billion and opened May 22, 2025. At Walt Disney World, a Cars land and Villains Land are under construction at Magic Kingdom, Monstropolis and Tropical Americas are due in 2027, and Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge is due to open on July 1, 2027.
Airport expansion. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority approved $374 million for the Airside 2 gate expansion in September 2025, with planning starting in 2026. A replacement of the airport’s automated people movers, awarded to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, was targeted for completion in spring 2027.
Siemens Energy’s move. The company has said it will relocate its Orlando offices to Lake Nona in 2027.
Power supply changes. Orlando Utilities Commission put Stanton Unit 1 into extended cold shutdown by the end of May 2026 and plans to convert Unit 2 to natural gas by the end of 2027. Its 10-year plan forecasts peak summer demand rising from 1,565 MW in 2026 to 1,776 MW in 2035.
Healthcare buildings. AdventHealth’s Lake Nona hospital will open with 80 beds and can grow to 320, and was expected to open in 2026.
Growth. Metro Orlando gained 37,690 people between July 2024 and July 2025.

Mechanical specialties tied to these projects

Attraction and ride systems engineers for the Disney and Universal expansions.
Building systems (HVAC and plumbing) engineers for airport gates, hospitals and resorts.
Power and thermal engineers for Siemens Energy and Orlando Utilities Commission.
Electro-optic and sensor packaging engineers for Lockheed Martin’s Orlando sensor and missile work.
Manufacturing and test equipment engineers for Orlando’s advanced manufacturers.

The talent pipeline

University of Central Florida. UCF’s BS in mechanical engineering is ABET-accredited. It had 1,460 undergraduates and awarded 407 degrees in 2024 to 2025.
Hiring guidance. Our guide to hiring a mechanical engineer covers screening and offers.
Licensing. Senior roles often call for a Florida PE license from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. The path is an ABET-accredited degree, the FE exam, four years of experience for an engineering degree and the PE exam.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price against Tampa, not just Orlando. Orlando’s median is $3,090 above Tampa’s, but Tampa’s 90th percentile is $159,050.
Plan for $128,920 or more for senior engineers. That is the 75th percentile, and the 90th is $140,050.
Technician pay is $6,580 below the state median. Orlando’s median is $53,140 against $59,720 in Florida, so test the market before you set a technician range.
Expect theme parks and defense firms to compete. Disney, Universal and Lockheed Martin all list large Orlando workforces on the Economic Partnership’s top employers list.

Need mechanical engineers in Orlando?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place mechanical, HVAC, manufacturing and product engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Orlando engineering recruiters page.

Hire mechanical engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do mechanical engineers make in Orlando?

The median mechanical engineer salary in metro Orlando is $103,380 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $82,830 and $128,920, and the top 10% earn $140,050 or more.

Do mechanical engineers earn more in Orlando or Tampa?

Orlando, by a small margin at the median. Its median is $103,380, against $100,290 in Tampa. Tampa pays more at the top, with a 90th percentile of $159,050 against $140,050 in Orlando. See our Tampa mechanical engineer talent map.

Who hires mechanical engineers in Orlando?

Defense and sensor companies such as Lockheed Martin, energy firms such as Siemens Energy, theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, and public and healthcare owners such as Orlando Utilities Commission, the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority and AdventHealth.

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