Mechanical engineer · Rapid City, SD
Mechanical engineer in Rapid City: $3,296/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Rapid City at $94,180 a year. About 140 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.02). The 10th percentile is $70,590 and the 90th is $136,640. Pay ranks 259th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.9× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,138/mo). South Dakota has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,296 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Cheyenne, about 219 miles away, at $4,842 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,296
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$94,180
$70,590 to $136,640
Rent (1 bd)
$1,138
$1,355 (2 bd)
Employment
140
Location quotient 1.02
Pay rank
259th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.9×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $94,180.
- Taxes$1,628
- Rent$1,138
- Other living costs$1,786
- Left over$3,296
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $94,180
- Federal income tax
- −$12,334
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$7,205
- State income tax (SD)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $74,642
- Effective tax rate
- 20.7%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,138
- Groceries
- $351
- Getting around
- $515
- Healthcare
- $395
- Utilities and internet
- $219
- Everything else
- $307
- Total spending
- $2,924
Left over each month
$7,848 gross, minus $1,628 in tax and $2,924 in living costs.
$3,296
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Cheyenne, $4,842/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in Rapid City
- 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 Rapid City?
$94,180 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 140 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Rapid City?
$3,296 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. South Dakota has no state income tax Rent is $1,138, and pay covers 6.9× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Cheyenne, about 219 miles away, leaves $4,842 a month, more than Rapid City.