Mechanical engineer · Chicago, IL
Mechanical engineer in Chicago: $2,657/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Chicago at $102,070 a year. About 6,900 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.80). The 10th percentile is $66,900 and the 90th is $157,720. Pay ranks 124th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,782/mo). Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,657 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 110 miles away, at $4,909 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$2,657
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$102,070
$66,900 to $157,720
Rent (1 bd)
$1,782
$2,122 (2 bd)
Employment
6,900
Location quotient 0.80
Pay rank
124th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $102,070.
- Taxes$2,196
- Rent$1,782
- Other$1,871
- Left$2,657
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $102,070
- Federal income tax
- −$13,625
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,808
- State income tax (IL)
- −$4,915
- Take-home pay
- $75,721
- Effective tax rate
- 25.8%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,782
- Groceries
- $408
- Getting around
- $392
- Healthcare
- $459
- Utilities and internet
- $255
- Everything else
- $357
- Total spending
- $3,653
After tax and rent
$2,657 left/mo
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Peoria, $4,909/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Compare Chicago with another city
Other jobs in Chicago
- 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 Chicago?
$102,070 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 6,900 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Chicago?
$2,657 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Illinois charges a 4.95% flat income tax Rent is $1,782, and pay covers 4.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Peoria, about 110 miles away, leaves $4,909 a month, more than Chicago.