Mechanical engineer · Lake Charles, LA

Mechanical engineer in Lake Charles: $4,774/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Lake Charles at $126,090 a year. About 110 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.59). The 10th percentile is $75,510 and the 90th is $201,710. Pay ranks 14th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 9.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,149/mo). Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,774 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Baton Rouge, about 127 miles away, at $5,378 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$4,774

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$126,090

$75,510 to $201,710

Rent (1 bd)

$1,149

$1,368 (2 bd)

Employment

110

Location quotient 0.59

Pay rank

14th of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

9.1×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $126,090.

Taxes$2,714
Rent$1,149
Other living costs$1,871
Left over$4,774

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $126,090
Federal income tax: −$19,509
Social Security and Medicare: −$9,646
State income tax (LA): −$3,408
Take-home pay: $93,528
Effective tax rate: 25.8%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $1,149
Groceries: $360
Getting around: $566
Healthcare: $405
Utilities and internet: $225
Everything else: $315
Total spending: $3,020

Left over each month

$10,508 gross, minus $2,714 in tax and $3,020 in living costs.

$4,774

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 →

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Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Lake Charles?

$126,090 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 110 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$4,774 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Louisiana charges a 3.00% flat income tax Rent is $1,149, and pay covers 9.1× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Baton Rouge, about 127 miles away, leaves $5,378 a month, more than Lake Charles.