Engineering

Mechanical Engineer Salary in Nebraska (2026)

The average Mechanical Engineer in Nebraska earns around $130,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $94,939/year ($7,912/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$94,939
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$7,912
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$3,651
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$46/hr
Federal Tax
$19,934
State Tax
$5,182
FICA Taxes
$9,945
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

26.97%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Mechanical Engineer Salary Ranges in Nebraska

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$85,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$130,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$250,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Mechanical Engineers earn the same — not even close

Nebraska's mechanical engineering market is anchored by Union Pacific Railroad locomotive + rolling stock engineering Omaha (the country's largest US railroad locomotive engineering + the substantial UP locomotive maintenance + diesel-electric propulsion + the substantial UP Locomotive Health + Performance Center), Peter Kiewit Sons' construction equipment + heavy civil ME Omaha, Valmont Industries HQ Omaha (Fortune 1000 ~$4B revenue engineering products + irrigation + infrastructure + utility products), Berkshire Hathaway Energy ME + BNSF Berkshire-owned locomotive ME, the substantial NE meatpacking plant + processing engineering (Cargill Omaha + Schuyler + Tyson + JBS USA NE), Werner Enterprises + Crete Carrier fleet engineering, Offutt AFB cleared aerospace ME (USSTRATCOM + 55th Wing RC-135 + WC-135 nuclear sampling aircraft sustainment), plus UNL College of Engineering ME + UNO + Creighton + Wayne State engineering pipelines.

Senior Railroad ME (Union Pacific)

$118,000–$185,000+ TC

Union Pacific · locomotive + rolling stock + diesel-electric propulsion + UP Locomotive Health Center

Senior Heavy Civil ME (Peter Kiewit Sons)

$118,000–$185,000+ TC

Peter Kiewit Sons · heavy civil + power + mining + transportation construction ME

Senior Industrial ME (Valmont)

$108,000–$172,000

Valmont Industries · irrigation pivots + utility poles + lighting + the substantial Valmont engineering products

Senior Meatpacking Plant ME (Cargill / Tyson / JBS)

$108,000–$172,000

Cargill + Tyson + JBS USA NE plants · meatpacking processing line + refrigeration + automation ME

Senior Aerospace ME (Cleared / Offutt)

$115,000–$182,000

Offutt AFB · RC-135 Rivet Joint + WC-135 Constant Phoenix + 55th Wing aircraft sustainment ME · cleared

Senior Fleet ME (Werner / Crete)

$105,000–$162,000

Werner Enterprises + Crete Carrier · CDL truck fleet engineering + the substantial NE trucking fleet

Senior P.E. / Consulting Engineer

$98,000–$155,000

P.E. + consulting at NE engineering firms · HVAC + plumbing + fire protection MEP design

Senior Federal / Cleared ME (Offutt)

$108,000–$172,000

Offutt AFB civilian + contractor ME · GS-13/14 federal civilian · cleared + nuclear C2 sustainment

Mid-Level Mechanical Engineer (3-6 yrs)

$72,000–$108,000

Functional IC at NE Fortune 500 · transitioning to senior band + P.E. licensure track

Senior Engineering Manager / Director

$135,000–$235,000+ TC

EM at UP + Kiewit + Valmont + meatpacking + Offutt contractors · senior administrative band

Worth knowing: Union Pacific Railroad locomotive ME Omaha is the country's most distinctive concentrated US railroad locomotive engineering operation and a feature most national ME surveys understate for NE. Union Pacific (Fortune 200 + the country's largest US railroad by revenue + ~32K route miles + the substantial UP fleet of ~17K locomotives + the substantial UP Locomotive Health + Performance Center monitoring locomotive predictive maintenance + the substantial UP North Platte Bailey Yard (~3K UP employees + the country's largest US rail classification yard + the substantial UP locomotive maintenance facility) + the substantial UP fuel + emissions + battery-electric locomotive trials + the substantial UP Wabtec GE Evolution Series locomotive operations + the substantial UP locomotive ME organization supporting diesel-electric propulsion + traction motors + alternators + air brake systems + locomotive sanding + locomotive HVAC) operates substantial in-house railroad ME work. Senior UP locomotive ME engineers clear $118-185K+ TC. Peter Kiewit Sons' Omaha (one of country's largest US private construction companies ~$15B revenue + the substantial Kiewit Engineering Group EPC + the substantial Kiewit Power Constructors energy capex + the substantial Kiewit Construction Equipment Group fleet engineering) supports substantial NE construction ME. Valmont Industries HQ Omaha (Fortune 1000 ~$4B revenue + the substantial Valmont Center Pivot Irrigation + Valmont Utility Pole + Valmont Lighting + Valmont Engineering Products + the substantial Valmont substantial NE manufacturing presence) operates substantial in-house industrial product engineering. The substantial NE meatpacking plant ME (Cargill Omaha + Schuyler beef + Tyson NE + JBS USA NE + the substantial NE-Iowa Cattle Belt meatpacking processing line + refrigeration + automation + the substantial post-2020 meatpacking automation investment driven by COVID-era labor shortages) supports substantial NE meatpacking ME. Offutt AFB cleared aerospace ME (the substantial 55th Wing RC-135 Rivet Joint + Combat Sent + Cobra Ball ISR aircraft + WC-135 Constant Phoenix nuclear sampling aircraft fleet sustainment + the substantial Offutt aircraft maintenance + cleared contractor aerospace ME workforce) supports substantial cleared ME. NE progressive 2.46-4.55% top by 2026 + NE RTW since 1947 + NE property tax ~1.61% + NE inheritance tax + lower NE cost of living anchor the NE ME proposition.

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