Mechanical engineer · Charlottesville, VA

Mechanical engineer in Charlottesville: $3,107/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Charlottesville at $106,130 a year. About 170 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.79). The 10th percentile is $67,660 and the 90th is $166,480. Pay ranks 81st-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,517/mo). Virginia taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,107 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Parkersburg, about 176 miles away, at $3,995 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,107

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$106,130

$67,660 to $166,480

Rent (1 bd)

$1,517

$1,806 (2 bd)

Employment

170

Location quotient 0.79

Pay rank

81st 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 $106,130.

Taxes$2,370
Rent$1,517
Other living costs$1,850
Left over$3,107

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $106,130
Federal income tax: −$14,963
Social Security and Medicare: −$8,119
State income tax (VA): −$5,356
Take-home pay: $77,692
Effective tax rate: 26.8%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,517
Groceries: $388
Getting around: $445
Healthcare: $436
Utilities and internet: $242
Everything else: $339
Total spending: $3,367

Left over each month

$8,844 gross, minus $2,370 in tax and $3,367 in living costs.

$3,107

Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Parkersburg, $3,995/mo.

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

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Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Charlottesville?

$106,130 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 170 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$3,107 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Virginia taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,517, and pay covers 5.8× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Parkersburg, about 176 miles away, leaves $3,995 a month, more than Charlottesville.