Mechanical engineer · Iowa City, IA

Mechanical engineer in Iowa City: $3,499/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Iowa City at $96,190 a year. About 60 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.35). The 10th percentile is $69,010 and the 90th is $134,970. Pay ranks 229th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 8.8× a year of one-bedroom rent ($911/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,499 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 122 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,499

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$96,190

$69,010 to $134,970

Rent (1 bd)

$911

$1,085 (2 bd)

Employment

Location quotient 0.35

Pay rank

229th 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 $96,190.

Taxes$1,936
Rent$911
Other living costs$1,670
Left over$3,499

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $96,190
Federal income tax: −$12,776
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,359
State income tax (IA): −$3,100
Take-home pay: $72,955
Effective tax rate: 24.2%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $911
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $411
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,581

Left over each month

$8,016 gross, minus $1,936 in tax and $2,581 in living costs.

$3,499

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 Iowa City?

$96,190 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 60 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$3,499 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $911, and pay covers 8.8× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Peoria, about 122 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Iowa City.