Mechanical engineer · San Diego, CA
Mechanical engineer in San Diego: $2,621/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in San Diego at $121,750 a year. About 3,370 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.15). The 10th percentile is $81,460 and the 90th is $172,760. Pay ranks 25th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.4× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,292/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,621 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is El Centro, about 82 miles away, at $4,477 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$2,621
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$121,750
$81,460 to $172,760
Rent (1 bd)
$2,292
$2,728 (2 bd)
Employment
3,370
Location quotient 1.15
Pay rank
25th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.4×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $121,750.
- Taxes$2,885
- Rent$2,292
- Other$2,348
- Left$2,621
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $121,750
- Federal income tax
- −$17,955
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,314
- State income tax (CA)
- −$7,350
- Take-home pay
- $87,131
- Effective tax rate
- 28.4%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,292
- Groceries
- $468
- Getting around
- $650
- Healthcare
- $527
- Utilities and internet
- $293
- Everything else
- $410
- Total spending
- $4,640
After tax and rent
$2,621 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 →Mechanical engineer nearby
Other jobs in San Diego
- 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 San Diego?
$121,750 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 3,370 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in San Diego?
$2,621 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,292, and pay covers 4.4× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
El Centro, about 82 miles away, leaves $4,477 a month, more than San Diego.