Mechanical engineer · Salinas, CA
Mechanical engineer in Salinas: $3,585/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Salinas at $132,560 a year. About 70 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.19). The 10th percentile is $69,240 and the 90th is $175,200. Pay ranks 5th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,023/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,585 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Hanford, about 84 miles away, at $4,293 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
Left over each month
$3,585
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$132,560
$69,240 to $175,200
Rent (1 bd)
$2,023
$2,408 (2 bd)
Employment
70
Location quotient 0.19
Pay rank
5th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.5×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $132,560.
- Taxes$3,296
- Rent$2,023
- Other living costs$2,142
- Left over$3,585
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $132,560
- Federal income tax
- −$21,061
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$10,141
- State income tax (CA)
- −$8,355
- Take-home pay
- $93,003
- Effective tax rate
- 29.8%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,023
- Groceries
- $433
- Getting around
- $572
- Healthcare
- $487
- Utilities and internet
- $271
- Everything else
- $379
- Total spending
- $4,165
Left over each month
$11,047 gross, minus $3,296 in tax and $4,165 in living costs.
$3,585
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 Salinas
- 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 Salinas?
$132,560 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 70 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Salinas?
$3,585 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,023, and pay covers 5.5× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Hanford, about 84 miles away, leaves $4,293 a month, more than Salinas.