Mechanical engineer · Boulder, CO
Mechanical engineer in Boulder: $4,177/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Boulder at $124,360 a year. About 1,130 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 3.08). The 10th percentile is $79,480 and the 90th is $196,790. Pay ranks 19th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.3× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,647/mo). Colorado charges a 4.40% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,177 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Cheyenne, about 91 miles away, at $4,842 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$4,177
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$124,360
$79,480 to $196,790
Rent (1 bd)
$1,647
$1,961 (2 bd)
Employment
1,130
Location quotient 3.08
Pay rank
19th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.3×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $124,360.
- Taxes$2,786
- Rent$1,647
- Other living costs$1,753
- Left over$4,177
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $124,360
- Federal income tax
- −$19,093
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,514
- State income tax (CO)
- −$4,829
- Take-home pay
- $90,924
- Effective tax rate
- 26.9%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,647
- Groceries
- $389
- Getting around
- $342
- Healthcare
- $438
- Utilities and internet
- $243
- Everything else
- $341
- Total spending
- $3,400
Left over each month
$10,363 gross, minus $2,786 in tax and $3,400 in living costs.
$4,177
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Cheyenne, $4,842/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Boulder
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Civil engineer
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
Questions
What does a mechanical engineer make in Boulder?
$124,360 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,130 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Boulder?
$4,177 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Colorado charges a 4.40% flat income tax Rent is $1,647, and pay covers 6.3× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Cheyenne, about 91 miles away, leaves $4,842 a month, more than Boulder.