Mechanical engineer · Des Moines, IA
Mechanical engineer in Des Moines: $2,657/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Des Moines at $85,490 a year. About 390 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.50). The 10th percentile is $70,770 and the 90th is $133,600. Pay ranks 311th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 7.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($991/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% 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 227 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$2,657
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$85,490
$70,770 to $133,600
Rent (1 bd)
$991
$1,180 (2 bd)
Employment
390
Location quotient 0.50
Pay rank
311th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
7.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $85,490.
- Taxes$1,638
- Rent$991
- Other living costs$1,838
- Left over$2,657
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $85,490
- Federal income tax
- −$10,422
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$6,540
- State income tax (IA)
- −$2,694
- Take-home pay
- $65,834
- Effective tax rate
- 23.0%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $991
- Groceries
- $360
- Getting around
- $533
- Healthcare
- $405
- Utilities and internet
- $225
- Everything else
- $315
- Total spending
- $2,829
Left over each month
$7,124 gross, minus $1,638 in tax and $2,829 in living costs.
$2,657
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
Other jobs in Des Moines
- 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 Des Moines?
$85,490 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 390 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Des Moines?
$2,657 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $991, and pay covers 7.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Peoria, about 227 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Des Moines.