Mechanical engineer · San Francisco, CA
Mechanical engineer in San Francisco: $4,162/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in San Francisco at $161,370 a year. About 5,150 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.14). The 10th percentile is $102,710 and the 90th is $212,380. Pay ranks 2nd-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,635/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,162 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Hanford, about 180 miles away, at $4,335 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$4,162
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$161,370
$102,710 to $212,380
Rent (1 bd)
$2,635
$3,137 (2 bd)
Employment
5,150
Location quotient 1.14
Pay rank
2nd of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.1×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $161,370.
- Taxes$4,237
- Rent$2,635
- Other$2,414
- Left$4,162
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $161,370
- Federal income tax
- −$27,463
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$12,345
- State income tax (CA)
- −$11,035
- Take-home pay
- $110,528
- Effective tax rate
- 31.5%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,635
- Groceries
- $512
- Getting around
- $558
- Healthcare
- $576
- Utilities and internet
- $320
- Everything else
- $448
- Total spending
- $5,049
After tax and rent
$4,162 left/mo
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Hanford, $4,335/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Compare San Francisco with another city
Other jobs in San Francisco
- 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 Francisco?
$161,370 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 5,150 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in San Francisco?
$4,162 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,635, and pay covers 5.1× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Hanford, about 180 miles away, leaves $4,335 a month, more than San Francisco.