The U.S. Bureau for Labor Statistics reported in May 2010 the 10th and 25th percentile salaries for mechanical engineers in food processing as $51,760 to $61,110 This salary range is commonly accepted as entry-level and represents the lowest salaries in the profession. The annual median salary was $74,080 and the 90th percentile salary was $111,050 for mechanical engineers in this field. The 10th percentile salary for mechanical engineers in general was $50,550.

Mechanical engineers work in research and development, operations and packaging in the food processing industry. In this industry, a mechanical engineer may work in an office or on the factory floor. Process engineer, project manager, packaging equipment manager and factory engineer are a few of the positions a mechanical engineer may occupy when working with Nestle or Kraft.

FoodProcessing.com ranked Nestle, Tyson Foods and Kraft Foods as the top three food and beverage companies for profits in 2010. Nestle’s U.S. operations are based in Glendale, California, and processes food such as baby food, beverages, snacks and pet food. Tyson Inc is based in Springdale, Arkansas, and processes beef, poultry, pork, and frozen and prepared foods. Kraft Foods, Inc is based in Northfield, Illinois, and processes snacks, cereals, beverages, cheese and much more.

Mechanical engineering students may pursue internship or co-op opportunities with companies in this industry. Once employed full time, a mechanical engineer can progress to senior levels of the same or similar positions. You may be tapped for middle management positions or to move into other professional positions in personnel or marketing.