2026 Mechanical Superintendent Salary Guide

What top mechanical supers earn by metro, project type, and P&L scope — with retention benchmarks.

Mechanical Superintendent — 2026 Comp by Metro

Metro	Base salary (P25–P75)	Target bonus	Total cash comp
Orange County, CA	$124,000 – $189,000	$12,000 – $19,000 (~10%)	$137,000 – $208,000
Los Angeles, CA	$127,000 – $193,000	$13,000 – $19,000 (~10%)	$139,000 – $212,000
San Diego, CA	$121,000 – $184,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$133,000 – $202,000
Inland Empire, CA	$115,000 – $175,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$127,000 – $193,000
Bay Area, CA	$136,000 – $207,000	$14,000 – $21,000 (~10%)	$149,000 – $227,000
Sacramento, CA	$117,000 – $179,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$129,000 – $196,000
Seattle, WA	$124,000 – $189,000	$12,000 – $19,000 (~10%)	$137,000 – $208,000
Portland, OR	$115,000 – $175,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$127,000 – $193,000
Salt Lake City, UT	$113,000 – $172,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$124,000 – $189,000
Phoenix, AZ	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Las Vegas, NV	$113,000 – $172,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$124,000 – $189,000
Denver, CO	$117,000 – $179,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$129,000 – $196,000
Houston, TX	$115,000 – $175,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$127,000 – $193,000
Dallas, TX	$117,000 – $179,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$129,000 – $196,000
Austin, TX	$121,000 – $184,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$133,000 – $202,000
San Antonio, TX	$109,000 – $166,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$120,000 – $183,000
Atlanta, GA	$113,000 – $172,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$124,000 – $189,000
Charlotte, NC	$110,000 – $168,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$121,000 – $185,000
Raleigh–Durham, NC	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Nashville, TN	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Miami, FL	$115,000 – $175,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$127,000 – $193,000
Orlando, FL	$109,000 – $166,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$120,000 – $183,000
Tampa, FL	$110,000 – $168,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$121,000 – $185,000
New York, NY	$140,000 – $214,000	$14,000 – $21,000 (~10%)	$154,000 – $235,000
Northern New Jersey	$132,000 – $201,000	$13,000 – $20,000 (~10%)	$145,000 – $221,000
Boston, MA	$132,000 – $201,000	$13,000 – $20,000 (~10%)	$145,000 – $221,000
Philadelphia, PA	$121,000 – $184,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$133,000 – $202,000
Pittsburgh, PA	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Washington, DC	$129,000 – $196,000	$13,000 – $20,000 (~10%)	$142,000 – $216,000
Baltimore, MD	$118,000 – $180,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$130,000 – $198,000
Chicago, IL	$124,000 – $189,000	$12,000 – $19,000 (~10%)	$137,000 – $208,000
Minneapolis–St. Paul, MN	$118,000 – $180,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$130,000 – $198,000
Detroit, MI	$115,000 – $175,000	$12,000 – $18,000 (~10%)	$127,000 – $193,000
Cleveland, OH	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Columbus, OH	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Cincinnati, OH	$110,000 – $168,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$121,000 – $185,000
Indianapolis, IN	$110,000 – $168,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$121,000 – $185,000
Kansas City, MO	$110,000 – $168,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$121,000 – $185,000
St. Louis, MO	$112,000 – $170,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$123,000 – $187,000
Milwaukee, WI	$113,000 – $172,000	$11,000 – $17,000 (~10%)	$124,000 – $189,000
Honolulu, HI	$129,000 – $196,000	$13,000 – $20,000 (~10%)	$142,000 – $216,000
Guam	$132,000 – $201,000	$13,000 – $20,000 (~10%)	$145,000 – $221,000

Ranges reflect 8–15 years of relevant experience. Base + bonus only — LTI, sign-on, and vehicle broken out below.

What separates a P50 super from a P75 super

Project size + complexity: Supers running $30M+ mechanical scopes or healthcare/lab/data-center jobs clear the P75. Standard commercial caps near P50.
Self-perform crew size: Managing 40+ pipefitters/sheet-metal crew adds $10–15k over supers coordinating primarily subs.
Modular / prefab experience: Documented prefab or MEP-coordinated modular experience adds a premium in every West Coast metro.
General foreman → super transitions: First-time-off-the-tools supers typically land at P25–P40; add 2 completed projects to reach P50.

Bonus, sign-on, vehicle & retention norms

Bonus (annual): 8–12% of base • project-margin + schedule + safety metrics
Sign-on: $10k–$30k • often higher on healthcare/data-center projects
Vehicle: Truck allowance $600–$1,000/mo + fuel card + phone
Per diem: Common $75–$150/day when traveling; taxable vs. IRS rules
Retention: Deferred bonus tied to project completion; 20–40% held for close-out

Talent-pool note

~1,800 mechanical supers in the Gulfstream network across the 16 metros above. Data-center + healthcare-experienced supers are the tight segment — expect 6–9 week search timelines vs. 3–5 weeks for standard commercial.

Download the full PDF report.