Mechanical engineer · Charleston, SC
Mechanical engineer in Charleston: $3,240/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Charleston at $110,820 a year. About 940 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.26). The 10th percentile is $76,970 and the 90th is $154,890. Pay ranks 44th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,588/mo). South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,240 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Augusta, about 118 miles away, at $4,621 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,240
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$110,820
$76,970 to $154,890
Rent (1 bd)
$1,588
$1,890 (2 bd)
Employment
940
Location quotient 1.26
Pay rank
44th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $110,820.
- Taxes$2,480
- Rent$1,588
- Other living costs$1,927
- Left over$3,240
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $110,820
- Federal income tax
- −$15,994
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$8,478
- State income tax (SC)
- −$5,288
- Take-home pay
- $81,060
- Effective tax rate
- 26.9%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,588
- Groceries
- $384
- Getting around
- $535
- Healthcare
- $432
- Utilities and internet
- $240
- Everything else
- $336
- Total spending
- $3,515
Left over each month
$9,235 gross, minus $2,480 in tax and $3,515 in living costs.
$3,240
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Augusta, $4,621/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Charleston
- 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 Charleston?
$110,820 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 940 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Charleston?
$3,240 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. South Carolina taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,588, and pay covers 5.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Augusta, about 118 miles away, leaves $4,621 a month, more than Charleston.