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Average Cost Engineer Salary in Mexico for 2026

A cost engineer in Mexico earns about 341,400 MXN a year. That's 14% below the national average of 398,300 MXN.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in Mexico sit around 185,100 MXN a year, while the very top stretches to 518,300 MXN. Everything on this page is in Mexican peso (MXN, symbol $), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in Mexico, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

How much does a cost engineer make in Mexico?

Average salary
341,400 MXN
28,450 MXN per month
Lowest reported
185,100 MXN
15,425 MXN per month
Highest reported
518,300 MXN
43,191 MXN per month

A typical cost engineer working in Mexico brings home around 28,450 MXN a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 185,100 MXN, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 518,300 MXN for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior cost engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around.

How cost engineer pay ranges in Mexico

A good way to think about salary in Mexico is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all cost engineers in Mexico earn less than 315,700 MXN a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 225,700 MXN (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 384,200 MXN (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of cost engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 185,100 MXN. The highest stretch to 518,300 MXN, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

185,100
Low
315,700
Median
518,300
High
225,700
25th
384,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in MXN

Cost engineer pay by experience in Mexico

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a cost engineer in Mexico, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical cost engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    214,000 MXN
  • 2-5 Years
    +27% from previous
    272,800 MXN
  • 5-10 Years
    +31% from previous
    357,700 MXN
  • 10-15 Years
    +17% from previous
    420,100 MXN
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    464,900 MXN
  • 20+ Years
    +7% from previous
    496,100 MXN

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 31%. That is the point at which a cost engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Cost engineer pay by education in Mexico

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving cost engineer pay in Mexico. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average cost engineer salary in Mexico broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    277,400 MXN
  • Master's Degree
    +53% from previous
    424,300 MXN

Cost engineer gender pay gap in Mexico

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and Mexico is no exception. Male cost engineers in Mexico earn an average of 353,600 MXN a year, while female cost engineers earn around 327,800 MXN. That works out to a 8% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Cost Engineer gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much more than women on average in Mexico.

Men 353,600 MXN
Women 327,800 MXN

Pay raises for a cost engineer in Mexico

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in Mexico sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in Mexico, the national average raise is around 8% every 18 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in Mexico:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
    2%
  • Construction
  • Education
    1%

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Cost engineer bonus rates in Mexico

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

50%

50% of cost engineers in Mexico reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a cost engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 4% to 5% of base salary. The remaining 50% of cost engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in Mexico

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Cost engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in Mexico is about 8% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

8%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in Mexico on average.

Public sector 415,900 MXN
Private sector 384,200 MXN

Cost engineer salary by city in Mexico

Cost engineer pay is not even across Mexico. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • Mexico City
  • Puebla
  • Culiacan
  • Ecatepec de Morelos
  • Naucalpan
  • Mexicali
  • Nezahualcoyotl
  • Monterrey
  • Chihuahua
  • Tijuana
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
Mexico CityCity487,600 MXN447,700 MXN263,100-735,200 MXN
PueblaCity472,000 MXN464,400 MXN239,300-727,100 MXN
CuliacanCity467,100 MXN442,200 MXN247,800-712,100 MXN
Ecatepec de MorelosCity467,100 MXN498,500 MXN221,500-741,500 MXN
NaucalpanCity466,300 MXN492,400 MXN217,900-733,300 MXN
MexicaliCity459,700 MXN442,200 MXN238,900-702,800 MXN
NezahualcoyotlCity459,300 MXN440,200 MXN238,900-704,300 MXN
MonterreyCity455,400 MXN472,100 MXN217,900-713,900 MXN
ChihuahuaCity451,000 MXN459,700 MXN218,900-701,400 MXN
TijuanaCity450,300 MXN424,300 MXN238,900-683,800 MXN
GuadalajaraCity447,300 MXN455,400 MXN217,900-694,700 MXN
HermosilloCity445,100 MXN409,000 MXN239,000-672,600 MXN
Tlalnepantla de BazCity445,100 MXN462,300 MXN210,500-694,700 MXN
AcapulcoCity444,300 MXN454,300 MXN217,900-695,400 MXN
ZapopanCity444,300 MXN409,000 MXN239,000-671,000 MXN
ChimalhuacanCity442,300 MXN407,300 MXN239,000-670,600 MXN
LeonCity442,200 MXN442,200 MXN221,500-681,500 MXN
AguascalientesCity442,200 MXN442,200 MXN221,500-683,400 MXN
GuadalupeCity437,900 MXN414,000 MXN232,400-669,100 MXN
DurangoCity436,200 MXN436,200 MXN217,900-679,200 MXN
QueretaroCity426,700 MXN462,300 MXN195,200-681,900 MXN
TlaquepaqueCity426,700 MXN426,700 MXN212,500-663,100 MXN
SaltilloCity425,100 MXN453,200 MXN200,000-674,100 MXN
Ciudad Lopez MateosCity425,100 MXN460,500 MXN196,800-679,200 MXN
San Luis PotosiCity424,900 MXN459,300 MXN196,800-675,200 MXN
MeridaCity424,300 MXN415,900 MXN215,100-652,200 MXN
Ciudad ApodacaCity420,100 MXN447,300 MXN197,600-664,500 MXN
CancunCity420,100 MXN406,300 MXN221,500-645,800 MXN
TonalaCity417,200 MXN407,300 MXN210,500-643,400 MXN
MoreliaCity417,200 MXN407,300 MXN210,500-643,400 MXN
ReynosaCity417,100 MXN445,100 MXN195,200-660,500 MXN
Cuautitlan IzcalliCity417,100 MXN411,400 MXN212,500-645,800 MXN
IrapuatoCity407,300 MXN424,300 MXN196,800-639,900 MXN
TorreonCity407,100 MXN424,300 MXN196,800-639,100 MXN
TolucaCity404,600 MXN420,800 MXN194,600-638,700 MXN
General EscobedoCity404,600 MXN383,300 MXN214,000-615,700 MXN
VeracruzCity404,600 MXN388,100 MXN209,500-619,800 MXN
Tuxtla GutierrezCity398,300 MXN404,600 MXN196,800-620,300 MXN
CuernavacaCity397,900 MXN382,600 MXN207,700-610,100 MXN
MazatlanCity396,300 MXN372,600 MXN209,700-603,400 MXN
XalapaCity396,300 MXN406,300 MXN194,600-619,000 MXN
San Nicolas de los GarzaCity394,300 MXN369,300 MXN208,600-598,600 MXN
MatamorosCity392,300 MXN362,200 MXN210,500-592,200 MXN
Ciudad Santa CatarinaCity386,400 MXN394,500 MXN190,500-605,700 MXN
XicoCity386,400 MXN357,300 MXN208,600-585,900 MXN
Ciudad VictoriaCity383,300 MXN383,300 MXN192,000-592,600 MXN
TampicoCity382,600 MXN390,000 MXN189,300-597,800 MXN
VillahermosaCity382,600 MXN382,600 MXN192,600-596,100 MXN
Nuevo LaredoCity381,800 MXN412,000 MXN174,000-605,700 MXN
IxtapalucaCity378,300 MXN409,000 MXN172,200-602,700 MXN
TepicCity376,800 MXN367,900 MXN192,000-576,500 MXN
Gomez PalacioCity376,800 MXN404,600 MXN172,400-596,800 MXN
Los MochisCity375,200 MXN394,500 MXN174,000-590,200 MXN
CelayaCity371,100 MXN394,800 MXN174,000-588,500 MXN
PachucaCity369,900 MXN340,400 MXN200,000-558,300 MXN
Ciudad ObregonCity369,900 MXN354,000 MXN192,600-563,300 MXN
EnsenadaCity369,900 MXN390,000 MXN172,200-583,000 MXN
TehuacanCity369,300 MXN369,300 MXN187,500-575,100 MXN
Ojo de AguaCity367,200 MXN384,200 MXN176,800-578,500 MXN
CampecheCity362,200 MXN353,600 MXN185,100-556,000 MXN
OaxacaCity361,500 MXN353,600 MXN185,100-556,000 MXN
Villa Nicolas RomeroCity357,700 MXN335,800 MXN190,500-544,800 MXN
UruapanCity357,700 MXN369,300 MXN172,200-559,000 MXN
CoacalcoCity357,300 MXN369,300 MXN172,200-558,300 MXN
Puerto VallartaCity354,000 MXN377,200 MXN168,100-559,000 MXN
CoatzacoalcosCity351,200 MXN340,000 MXN183,700-538,600 MXN
Soledad de Graciano SanchezCity349,300 MXN354,000 MXN172,200-544,800 MXN
Los Reyes la PazCity348,300 MXN319,600 MXN189,300-525,700 MXN
NogalesCity348,300 MXN335,100 MXN181,600-533,000 MXN
MonclovaCity345,100 MXN322,600 MXN183,600-524,400 MXN
La PazCity344,600 MXN318,800 MXN187,300-520,900 MXN
ChilpancingoCity341,900 MXN322,600 MXN183,600-520,900 MXN
MetepecCity339,100 MXN365,400 MXN154,700-535,800 MXN
Cholula de RivadabiaCity335,800 MXN348,300 MXN159,500-525,700 MXN
AcunaCity335,100 MXN341,400 MXN163,800-524,400 MXN
ChalcoCity332,500 MXN340,400 MXN161,600-518,900 MXN
Poza RicaCity330,700 MXN339,100 MXN161,300-516,100 MXN
JiutepecCity327,800 MXN301,300 MXN176,800-492,700 MXN
BuenavistaCity325,900 MXN351,200 MXN151,800-519,300 MXN
ChetumalCity325,800 MXN325,800 MXN161,300-502,200 MXN
Ciudad JuarezCity325,600 MXN352,000 MXN151,800-514,800 MXN
Ciudad del CarmenCity325,600 MXN325,600 MXN161,300-504,400 MXN
TapachulaCity325,600 MXN325,600 MXN161,600-504,400 MXN
San Pablo de las SalinasCity317,700 MXN307,400 MXN164,200-487,600 MXN
Piedras NegrasCity315,700 MXN340,400 MXN146,200-500,100 MXN
ChicoloapanCity314,500 MXN308,900 MXN159,400-483,400 MXN
San Cristobal de las CasasCity314,500 MXN294,700 MXN164,200-478,100 MXN
SalamancaCity313,700 MXN308,300 MXN159,500-487,600 MXN
ColimaCity312,400 MXN305,600 MXN159,100-478,000 MXN
San Luis Rio ColoradoCity309,800 MXN320,500 MXN150,000-485,300 MXN
ManzanilloCity308,900 MXN325,900 MXN142,300-485,200 MXN
CordobaCity301,800 MXN286,400 MXN157,600-459,300 MXN
San Juan del RioCity301,800 MXN314,500 MXN142,300-472,100 MXN
CuautlaCity301,700 MXN320,500 MXN143,200-478,000 MXN
Zamora de HidalgoCity301,600 MXN319,600 MXN142,300-476,600 MXN
Ciudad VallesCity301,600 MXN288,700 MXN158,700-462,300 MXN
San Pedro Garza GarciaCity299,500 MXN320,500 MXN137,400-472,100 MXN
DeliciasCity299,500 MXN279,400 MXN158,700-450,300 MXN
Playa del CarmenCity294,700 MXN281,500 MXN152,000-448,500 MXN
Boca del RioCity292,000 MXN267,100 MXN158,700-442,200 MXN
GuaymasCity292,000 MXN301,600 MXN138,200-457,300 MXN
ZacatecasCity286,400 MXN272,800 MXN152,000-436,200 MXN
IgualaCity286,400 MXN294,300 MXN142,300-451,000 MXN
FresnilloCity282,300 MXN261,300 MXN152,000-428,400 MXN
Hidalgo del ParralCity275,800 MXN275,800 MXN139,100-426,700 MXN
OrizabaCity273,000 MXN273,000 MXN137,400-424,900 MXN
NavojoaCity272,800 MXN294,700 MXN124,400-430,000 MXN
MinatitlanCity271,300 MXN263,900 MXN139,100-415,900 MXN

Cost Engineer in Mexico: FAQs

  • How much does a cost engineer make per month in Mexico?

    A cost engineer in Mexico earns about 28,450 MXN a month before tax, based on an annual average of 341,400 MXN.

  • What's the salary range for a cost engineer in Mexico?

    Entry-level cost engineers in Mexico start near 185,100 MXN. Top-end pay reaches around 518,300 MXN. The middle 50% of earners sit between 225,700 and 384,200 MXN.

  • Is the median cost engineer salary in Mexico higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 315,700 MXN, lower than the average of 341,400 MXN. Half of cost engineers in Mexico earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for cost engineers in Mexico?

    Men working as a cost engineer in Mexico earn around 8% more than women on average (353,600 vs 327,800 MXN a year).

  • Do cost engineers in Mexico get bonuses?

    About 50% of cost engineers in Mexico reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 4% to 5% of base salary.

  • Do cost engineers earn more in the public or private sector in Mexico?

    In Mexico, the public sector pays a cost engineer about 8% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do cost engineers in Mexico get a pay raise?

    A cost engineer in Mexico sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.