Example household · $83,730 · same pay · 1 adult

Mechanical engineer · Riverside, CA

Mechanical engineer in Riverside: $2,283/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Riverside at $104,910 a year. About 1,420 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.43). The 10th percentile is $66,390 and the 90th is $157,640. Pay ranks 95th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,940/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,283 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is El Centro, about 113 miles away, at $4,477 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

After tax and rent

$2,283

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$104,910

$66,390 to $157,640

Rent (1 bd)

$1,940

$2,309 (2 bd)

Employment

1,420

Location quotient 0.43

Pay rank

95th of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

4.5×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $104,910.

  • Taxes$2,338
  • Rent$1,940
  • Other$2,181
  • Left$2,283

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay
$104,910
Federal income tax
−$14,250
Social Security and Medicare
−$8,026
State income tax (CA)
−$5,784
Take-home pay
$76,850
Effective tax rate
26.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br
$1,940
Groceries
$424
Getting around
$644
Healthcare
$477
Utilities and internet
$265
Everything else
$371
Total spending
$4,121

After tax and rent

$2,283 left/mo

Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: El Centro, $4,477/mo.

Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →

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Other jobs in Riverside

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Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Riverside?

$104,910 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 1,420 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$2,283 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $1,940, and pay covers 4.5× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

El Centro, about 113 miles away, leaves $4,477 a month, more than Riverside.

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