Mechanical engineers earned $85,880 median annual income, $41.29 hourly, in 2017. Mechanical engineers design, develop, build, and test mechanical products and typically have a bachelor’s degree, performing tasks that are similar to those of R&D engineers. There were more than 250,000 jobs for R&D engineers in 2016, a number the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates will rise by nine percent through 2026. According to PayScale, R&D engineers earn $73,753 median salary annually.
A majority of employers offer extensive benefits to R&D engineers. These packages typically include health, dental, and vision insurance coverage. Paid vacation days, holidays, and sick days are also usually provided. R&D engineers may also receive bonuses from employers for successful product launches and meeting certain product sales benchmarks. Additional perks, such as continuing education reimbursement and wellness program reimbursement, are sometimes also available to R&D engineers.