Sydney MEH Salary Guide 2026
Mechanical, electrical and hydraulic engineers across Greater Sydney. Base salary, excluding superannuation.
Consultancy against contractor
At comparable experience, delivery side pay sits materially higher. This is the gap that moves people.
Consultancy senior engineer against contractor services engineer, and consultancy associate or team leader against contractor services manager. Base salary excluding super, Greater Sydney, FY2025/26.
Design consultancies
| Level | Typical titles | Base range |
|---|---|---|
| Graduate and junior | Graduate engineer, junior engineer | $65,000 to $80,000 |
| Engineer | Mechanical, electrical or hydraulic engineer, hydraulic designer | $85,000 to $110,000 |
| Senior | Senior engineer, senior hydraulic designer | $110,000 to $140,000 |
| Lead | Project leader, associate, team leader | $130,000 to $160,000 |
| Principal | Associate director, technical director, principal | $160,000 to $220,000+ |
Superannuation paid on top at the Super Guarantee rate, currently 12 per cent. Ranges reflect Greater Sydney building services consultancies and will differ between a two person practice and a global firm.
Contractors and delivery
| Role | Tier | Base range |
|---|---|---|
| Services coordinator, services engineer | Tier 1 and 2 | $140,000 to $180,000 |
| Services manager, building services manager | Tier 1 and 2 | $180,000 to $280,000 |
| Services coordinator, services engineer | Tier 3 and 4 | $110,000 to $150,000 |
| Services manager, building services manager | Tier 3 and 4 | $140,000 to $200,000 |
Tiering reflects contractor scale and project value rather than any formal register. Base salary excluding super, vehicle and allowances.
What moves your number
What you document yourself
Engineers who own their own documentation sit at the top of a range. Those who mark up someone else's sit at the bottom.
Project type
Data centres, hospitals and laboratories pay above commercial fitout at the same level of experience.
Firm size
A global consultancy pays structure and progression. A small practice pays scope and exposure. Both have their place.
Side of the fence
Moving from design to delivery is usually the single biggest jump available to you.
Chargeability
On the design side, whether you can run a job commercially decides whether you reach lead level pay.
Timing
The Sydney pipeline is not evenly spread. Some quarters pay a premium for a start date.
How these numbers were built
Where does the data come from?
Our own mapping of the Sydney building services market, cross checked against published Australian building services salary guidance and current advertised ranges for FY2025/26.
Is superannuation included?
No. Every figure is base salary excluding super, because that is how offers in this market are written. Super is paid on top at the Super Guarantee rate, currently 12 per cent.
How often is it updated?
Annually, and sooner if the market moves. The Sydney data centre pipeline is the thing most likely to move it.
My salary sits outside these ranges.
Ranges are typical, not universal. Firm size, project type and how much you document yourself all move the number. Book a 15 minute call for a read on your situation.
Get the full 2026 guide
Discipline by discipline detail, how counter offers play out at resignation stage, and what the data centre pipeline is doing to mechanical and electrical pay.
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