Mechanical engineer · Merced, CA
Mechanical engineer in Merced: $1,597/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Merced at $79,600 a year. About 40 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.29). The 10th percentile is $59,990 and the 90th is $149,120. Pay ranks 335th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,271/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,597 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Hanford, about 92 miles away, at $4,293 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$1,597
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$79,600
$59,990 to $149,120
Rent (1 bd)
$1,271
$1,513 (2 bd)
Employment
40
Location quotient 0.29
Pay rank
335th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.2×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $79,600.
- Taxes$1,554
- Rent$1,271
- Other living costs$2,212
- Left over$1,597
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $79,600
- Federal income tax
- −$9,126
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$6,089
- State income tax (CA)
- −$3,430
- Take-home pay
- $60,955
- Effective tax rate
- 23.4%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,271
- Groceries
- $433
- Getting around
- $642
- Healthcare
- $487
- Utilities and internet
- $271
- Everything else
- $379
- Total spending
- $3,483
Left over each month
$6,633 gross, minus $1,554 in tax and $3,483 in living costs.
$1,597
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Hanford, $4,293/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Merced
- 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 Merced?
$79,600 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 40 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Merced?
$1,597 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,271, and pay covers 5.2× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Hanford, about 92 miles away, leaves $4,293 a month, more than Merced.