Mechanical engineer · Lafayette, LA

Mechanical engineer in Lafayette: $2,456/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Lafayette at $82,520 a year. About 160 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.46). The 10th percentile is $61,610 and the 90th is $141,500. Pay ranks 327th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,052/mo). Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,456 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Baton Rouge, about 70 miles away, at $5,378 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,456

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$82,520

$61,610 to $141,500

Rent (1 bd)

$1,052

$1,252 (2 bd)

Employment

160

Location quotient 0.46

Pay rank

327th of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

6.5×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $82,520.

Taxes$1,515
Rent$1,052
Other living costs$1,854
Left over$2,456

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $82,520
Federal income tax: −$9,768
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,313
State income tax (LA): −$2,101
Take-home pay: $64,338
Effective tax rate: 22.0%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,052
Groceries: $360
Getting around: $549
Healthcare: $405
Utilities and internet: $225
Everything else: $315
Total spending: $2,906

Left over each month

$6,877 gross, minus $1,515 in tax and $2,906 in living costs.

$2,456

Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Baton Rouge, $5,378/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 Lafayette?

$82,520 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 160 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,456 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax Rent is $1,052, and pay covers 6.5× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Baton Rouge, about 70 miles away, leaves $5,378 a month, more than Lafayette.