A person working as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia typically earns around 4,510,000 COP. Salaries range from 2,340,000 COP (lowest) to 6,900,000 COP (highest).
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Mechanical Engineer salaries in Colombia vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Minimum Salary 2,340,000 COP |
Median 4,100,000 COP |
Maximum 6,900,000 COP |
Salaries for the position Mechanical Engineer in Colombia range from 2,340,000 COP (starting salary) to 6,900,000 COP (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
With a median salary of 4,100,000 COP, half of the professionals who work as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia earn less than 3,400,000 COP, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 4,650,000 COP while 25% earn more.
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Mechanical Engineer in Colombia compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 2,650,000 COP to 3,640,000 COP. About 20% of salaries are below the 2,650,000 COP mark, while 10% fall within the range of 3,640,000 COP to 4,080,000 COP. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 4,080,000 COP.
0 - 2 Years | 2,660,000 COP | |
2 - 5 Years | +34% | 3,570,000 COP |
5 - 10 Years | +30% | 4,640,000 COP |
10 - 15 Years | +21% | 5,620,000 COP |
15 - 20 Years | +9% | 6,140,000 COP |
20+ Years | +5% | 6,460,000 COP |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Mechanical Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 2,660,000 COP.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 3,570,000 COP, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 4,640,000 COP, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 5,620,000 COP, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 6,140,000 COP, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 6,460,000 COP, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Bachelor's Degree | 3,750,000 COP | |
Master's Degree | +39% | 5,210,000 COP |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Mechanical Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 3,750,000 COP.
At this level, the average salary becomes 5,210,000 COP, 39% more than the previous level.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Colombia costs anywhere from 23,500,000 COP to 70,600,000 COP and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 10%.
Male | 4,770,000 COP | |
Female | -9% | 4,330,000 COP |
Individuals working as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 20 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 7% granted to employees every 19 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
50% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 50% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 5% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 50% | |
No Bonus | 50% |
The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Mechanical Engineer in Colombia is 13,500 COP. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Engineering | -100% | |
3D Printing Engineer | 3,700,000 COP | -18% |
Acoustics Engineer | 4,050,000 COP | -10% |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 3,320,000 COP | -26% |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 4,560,000 COP | +1% |
Associate Engineer | 3,880,000 COP | -14% |
AutoCAD Drafter | 2,460,000 COP | -45% |
Autocad Operator | 2,700,000 COP | -40% |
Automation Engineer | 4,370,000 COP | -3% |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 3,730,000 COP | -17% |
Biochemical Engineer | 3,880,000 COP | -14% |
BMS Engineer | 3,980,000 COP | -12% |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 2,250,000 COP | -50% |
Broadcast Engineer | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
CAD Design Engineer | 4,360,000 COP | -3% |
CAD Designer | 2,500,000 COP | -45% |
CAE Engineer | 3,880,000 COP | -14% |
Ceramics Engineer | 3,910,000 COP | -13% |
Chemical Engineer | 4,300,000 COP | -5% |
Civil Drafter | 2,540,000 COP | -44% |
Civil Engineer | 4,190,000 COP | -7% |
Civil Site Engineer | 4,190,000 COP | -7% |
Civil Technician | 2,590,000 COP | -43% |
Cognitive Engineer | 3,900,000 COP | -13% |
Commissioning Engineer | 4,110,000 COP | -9% |
Communications Engineer | 4,550,000 COP | +1% |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 3,530,000 COP | -22% |
Contract Associate Engineer | 3,950,000 COP | -12% |
Contract Engineer | 3,740,000 COP | -17% |
Control Systems Engineer | 4,160,000 COP | -8% |
Controls Engineer | 4,250,000 COP | -6% |
Controls Software Engineer | 3,530,000 COP | -22% |
Corrosion Engineer | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
Design Engineer | 4,360,000 COP | -3% |
Director of Engineering | 8,060,000 COP | +79% |
Drafter | 2,690,000 COP | -40% |
Drafting Manager | 4,700,000 COP | +4% |
Drilling Engineer | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
Drilling Foreman | 1,300,000 COP | -71% |
Electrical Draughtsman | 2,060,000 COP | -54% |
Electrical Engineer | 4,650,000 COP | +3% |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 5,770,000 COP | +28% |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 4,530,000 COP | +1% |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 2,100,000 COP | -53% |
Energy Engineer | 4,510,000 COP | +0% |
Engine Assembler | 1,810,000 COP | -60% |
Engineer | 4,450,000 COP | -1% |
Engineering Account Manager | 4,930,000 COP | +9% |
Engineering Chief Designer | 4,490,000 COP | -0% |
Engineering Consultant | 5,440,000 COP | +21% |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 6,000,000 COP | +33% |
Engineering Lab Technician | 4,090,000 COP | -9% |
Engineering Manager | 5,850,000 COP | +30% |
Engineering Planning Manager | 5,580,000 COP | +24% |
Engineering Production Manager | 7,490,000 COP | +66% |
Engineering Project Analyst | 4,760,000 COP | +6% |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 4,670,000 COP | +4% |
Engineering Project Director | 8,160,000 COP | +81% |
Engineering Project Leader | 5,550,000 COP | +23% |
Engineering Project Manager | 6,080,000 COP | +35% |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 6,500,000 COP | +44% |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 3,240,000 COP | -28% |
Engineering Sales Manager | 5,530,000 COP | +23% |
Engineering Technician | 3,370,000 COP | -25% |
Engineering Technologist | 3,270,000 COP | -27% |
Environmental Engineer | 3,910,000 COP | -13% |
Equipment Engineer | 3,820,000 COP | -15% |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 5,230,000 COP | +16% |
Estimator | 3,680,000 COP | -18% |
Fabrication Specialist | 2,910,000 COP | -35% |
Fabricator | 1,960,000 COP | -57% |
Facade Engineer | 4,010,000 COP | -11% |
Fiber Analyst | 2,270,000 COP | -50% |
Field Engineer | 4,330,000 COP | -4% |
Field Engineering Manager | 6,660,000 COP | +48% |
Fire Engineer | 4,190,000 COP | -7% |
Fitter and Turner | 1,270,000 COP | -72% |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 4,820,000 COP | +7% |
Generation Engineer | 4,040,000 COP | -10% |
Genetic Engineer | 4,400,000 COP | -2% |
Geological Engineer | 4,240,000 COP | -6% |
Geotechnical Engineer | 4,410,000 COP | -2% |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 2,300,000 COP | -49% |
Highway Engineer | 4,320,000 COP | -4% |
HSE Professional | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
Human Machine Interface Engineer | 3,640,000 COP | -19% |
HVAC Engineer | 4,380,000 COP | -3% |
HVAC Supervisor | 3,750,000 COP | -17% |
Industrial Engineer | 4,150,000 COP | -8% |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 3,970,000 COP | -12% |
Instrument Engineer | 4,100,000 COP | -9% |
Instrument Technician | 2,220,000 COP | -51% |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 4,200,000 COP | -7% |
Instrumentation Designer | 3,400,000 COP | -25% |
Instrumentation Engineer | 4,140,000 COP | -8% |
Instrumentation Manager | 4,170,000 COP | -7% |
Irrigation Engineer | 3,970,000 COP | -12% |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 4,370,000 COP | -3% |
Locomotive Engineer | 4,050,000 COP | -10% |
Maintenance Engineer | 4,020,000 COP | -11% |
Maintenance Fitter | 1,510,000 COP | -66% |
Maintenance Manager | 4,300,000 COP | -5% |
Manufacturing Engineer | 3,910,000 COP | -13% |
Marine Engineer | 4,280,000 COP | -5% |
Materials Engineer | 3,960,000 COP | -12% |
Materials Researcher | 3,900,000 COP | -13% |
Materials Technician | 3,030,000 COP | -33% |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 4,570,000 COP | +1% |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 4,390,000 COP | -3% |
Mechanical Designer | 3,720,000 COP | -17% |
Mechanical Engineer | 4,510,000 COP | +0% |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 5,630,000 COP | +25% |
Mechanical Inspector | 3,830,000 COP | -15% |
Mechatronics Engineer | 4,450,000 COP | -1% |
Mining Engineer | 4,230,000 COP | -6% |
Nanotechnology Engineer | 4,470,000 COP | -1% |
Natural Language Processing Engineer | 4,610,000 COP | +2% |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 4,350,000 COP | -3% |
Optical Engineer | 4,210,000 COP | -7% |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 2,090,000 COP | -54% |
PCB Assembler | 1,480,000 COP | -67% |
Photonics Engineer | 4,730,000 COP | +5% |
Photonics Technician | 3,660,000 COP | -19% |
Pipeline Engineer | 3,920,000 COP | -13% |
Piping Designer | 2,200,000 COP | -51% |
Piping Engineer | 3,900,000 COP | -13% |
Planning Engineer | 4,350,000 COP | -3% |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 1,940,000 COP | -57% |
Principal Cost Engineer | 4,200,000 COP | -7% |
Principal Engineer | 4,200,000 COP | -7% |
Principal Support Engineer | 4,400,000 COP | -2% |
Process Engineer | 4,140,000 COP | -8% |
Process Operator | 2,550,000 COP | -43% |
Product Development Engineer | 4,120,000 COP | -9% |
Product Development Technician | 3,010,000 COP | -33% |
Product Engineer | 4,320,000 COP | -4% |
Product Safety Engineer | 3,790,000 COP | -16% |
Production Engineer | 4,280,000 COP | -5% |
Project Engineer | 4,160,000 COP | -8% |
Proposal Manager | 5,300,000 COP | +18% |
Purchasing Engineer | 3,740,000 COP | -17% |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 4,090,000 COP | -9% |
Rail Engineer | 4,350,000 COP | -3% |
Regional Field Engineer | 4,280,000 COP | -5% |
Remote Sensing Engineer | 4,000,000 COP | -11% |
Robotics Engineer | 4,830,000 COP | +7% |
Robotics Technician | 3,310,000 COP | -27% |
Safety Engineer | 4,100,000 COP | -9% |
Safety Inspector | 3,290,000 COP | -27% |
Safety Manager | 4,890,000 COP | +8% |
Safety Officer | 2,170,000 COP | -52% |
Sales Engineer | 4,550,000 COP | +1% |
Scheduling Engineer | 3,640,000 COP | -19% |
Security Engineer | 4,440,000 COP | -1% |
Service Engineer | 4,550,000 COP | +1% |
Smart Home Engineer | 4,480,000 COP | -1% |
Solar Engineer | 4,480,000 COP | -1% |
Staff Engineer | 4,120,000 COP | -9% |
Static Equipment Engineer | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
Stationary Engineer | 3,560,000 COP | -21% |
Stress Engineer | 3,710,000 COP | -18% |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 4,100,000 COP | -9% |
Structural Designer | 3,780,000 COP | -16% |
Structural Engineer | 3,890,000 COP | -14% |
Structural Technician | 2,670,000 COP | -41% |
Subsea Engineer | 4,890,000 COP | +8% |
Supply Chain Specialist | 4,140,000 COP | -8% |
Surveyor | 3,120,000 COP | -31% |
Technical Affairs Officer | 2,050,000 COP | -55% |
Technical Assistant | 2,140,000 COP | -53% |
Technical Engineer | 3,430,000 COP | -24% |
Technical Support Engineer | 3,530,000 COP | -22% |
Tender Engineer | 3,880,000 COP | -14% |
Test Development Engineer | 4,120,000 COP | -9% |
Test Engineer | 4,200,000 COP | -7% |
Transportation Engineer | 4,070,000 COP | -10% |
Urban Engineer | 4,120,000 COP | -9% |
Validation Engineer | 3,740,000 COP | -17% |
Verification Engineer | 3,930,000 COP | -13% |
Wastewater Engineer | 4,190,000 COP | -7% |
Wind Energy Engineer | 4,030,000 COP | -11% |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 5,530,000 COP | +23% |
Wireless Engineer | 4,650,000 COP | +3% |
Work Planner | 2,800,000 COP | -38% |
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Colombia is 11% on average across all career fields.
Private Sector | 4,410,000 COP | |
Public Sector | +11% | 4,900,000 COP |
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 4,100,000 COP and 4,650,000 COP. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
The base salary for a careers like Mechanical Engineer in Colombia ranges from 2,340,000 COP to 3,400,000 COP. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary