Mechanical engineer · Cedar Rapids, IA

Mechanical engineer in Cedar Rapids: $2,791/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Cedar Rapids at $84,630 a year. About 350 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.34). The 10th percentile is $68,070 and the 90th is $134,980. Pay ranks 315th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($904/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,791 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 142 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,791

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$84,630

$68,070 to $134,980

Rent (1 bd)

$904

$1,076 (2 bd)

Employment

350

Location quotient 1.34

Pay rank

315th of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

7.8×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $84,630.

Taxes$1,614
Rent$904
Other living costs$1,744
Left over$2,791

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $84,630
Federal income tax: −$10,233
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,474
State income tax (IA): −$2,661
Take-home pay: $65,262
Effective tax rate: 22.9%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $904
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $485
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,648

Left over each month

$7,053 gross, minus $1,614 in tax and $2,648 in living costs.

$2,791

Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Peoria, $4,867/mo.

Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →

Mechanical engineer nearby

Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Cedar Rapids?

$84,630 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 350 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Cedar Rapids?

$2,791 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $904, and pay covers 7.8× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Peoria, about 142 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Cedar Rapids.