Mechanical engineer · Houston, TX
Mechanical engineer in Houston: $4,940/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Houston at $125,350 a year. About 8,310 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.32). The 10th percentile is $79,470 and the 90th is $198,730. Pay ranks 16th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,188/mo). Texas has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,940 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Beaumont, about 71 miles away, at $5,070 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$4,940
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$125,350
$79,470 to $198,730
Rent (1 bd)
$1,188
$1,414 (2 bd)
Employment
8,310
Location quotient 1.32
Pay rank
16th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
8.8×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $125,350.
- Taxes$2,367
- Rent$1,188
- Other$1,951
- Left$4,940
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $125,350
- Federal income tax
- −$18,818
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,589
- State income tax (TX)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $96,943
- Effective tax rate
- 22.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,188
- Groceries
- $380
- Getting around
- $572
- Healthcare
- $428
- Utilities and internet
- $238
- Everything else
- $333
- Total spending
- $3,139
After tax and rent
$4,940 left/mo
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Beaumont, $5,070/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Houston
- 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 Houston?
$125,350 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 8,310 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Houston?
$4,940 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Texas has no state income tax Rent is $1,188, and pay covers 8.8× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Beaumont, about 71 miles away, leaves $5,070 a month, more than Houston.