Mechanical Engineer 1 (Entry Level) - Energy & Industrial (Summer 2027)
Location
Chicago, IL
Wage
$62,998 – $90,586/yr
Employment Type
Full-time
Posted on September 12, 2026
Location
Chicago, IL
Wage
$62,998 – $90,586/yr
Employment Type
Full-time
Posted on September 12, 2026
This entry-level Mechanical Engineer position at Sargent & Lundy, targeting a start date in Summer 2027, involves applying knowledge in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics within power plant and oil & gas engineering projects. The role includes preparing engineering deliverables and collaborating with project teams to design and analyze mechanical systems.
At roughly $37/hr, this posting lands within a few percent of the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Chicago, IL, whose middle half runs $28–$47/hr across 79 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 53% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. In other words it is a market-rate offer, so benefits, overtime, and shift schedule are where the real difference between this and the next posting on the list shows up.
We're tracking 96 other active welding openings in Chicago, IL right now, from 53 different employers. 30 of them were added in the last week. Across Illinois as a whole we're tracking 374 other active welding openings from 234 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Chicago, or widen the search to Illinois.
Sargent & Lundy currently has 7 other openings live in Illinois, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.
The most active employers in Illinois at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are S&C Electric Company (15), Gerber Collision & Glass (14), and Staff on Site (13). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.
Within Illinois, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Chicago at $36/hr, Itasca at $36/hr, and Elk Grove Village at $34/hr. Chicago is among them.
Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Mechanical Engineer 1 (Entry Level) - Energy & Industrial (Summer 2027) figures were last recalculated when this page was built.