Mechanical engineer · Knoxville, TN
Mechanical engineer in Knoxville: $3,323/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Knoxville at $99,070 a year. About 760 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.93). The 10th percentile is $63,200 and the 90th is $148,980. Pay ranks 183rd-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.4× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,296/mo). Tennessee has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,323 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Columbus, about 239 miles away, at $4,689 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,323
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$99,070
$63,200 to $148,980
Rent (1 bd)
$1,296
$1,543 (2 bd)
Employment
760
Location quotient 0.93
Pay rank
183rd 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 $99,070.
- Taxes$1,749
- Rent$1,296
- Other living costs$1,888
- Left over$3,323
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $99,070
- Federal income tax
- −$13,409
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,579
- State income tax (TN)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $78,082
- Effective tax rate
- 21.2%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,296
- Groceries
- $368
- Getting around
- $554
- Healthcare
- $414
- Utilities and internet
- $230
- Everything else
- $322
- Total spending
- $3,184
Left over each month
$8,256 gross, minus $1,749 in tax and $3,184 in living costs.
$3,323
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Columbus, $4,689/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Knoxville
- 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 Knoxville?
$99,070 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 760 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Knoxville?
$3,323 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Tennessee has no state income tax Rent is $1,296, and pay covers 6.4× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Columbus, about 239 miles away, leaves $4,689 a month, more than Knoxville.