Mechanical engineer · Grand Rapids, MI

Mechanical engineer in Grand Rapids: $2,919/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Grand Rapids at $96,610 a year. About 3,170 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 2.77). The 10th percentile is $61,870 and the 90th is $129,060. Pay ranks 225th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.4× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,252/mo). Michigan charges a 4.25% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,919 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 247 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,919

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$96,610

$61,870 to $129,060

Rent (1 bd)

$1,252

$1,490 (2 bd)

Employment

3,170

Location quotient 2.77

Pay rank

225th of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.4×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $96,610.

Taxes$2,011
Rent$1,252
Other living costs$1,869
Left over$2,919

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $96,610
Federal income tax: −$12,868
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,391
State income tax (MI): −$3,868
Take-home pay: $72,483
Effective tax rate: 25.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,252
Groceries: $368
Getting around: $535
Healthcare: $414
Utilities and internet: $230
Everything else: $322
Total spending: $3,121

Left over each month

$8,051 gross, minus $2,011 in tax and $3,121 in living costs.

$2,919

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 Grand Rapids?

$96,610 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 3,170 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,919 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Michigan charges a 4.25% flat income tax Rent is $1,252, and pay covers 6.4× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Peoria, about 247 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Grand Rapids.