Mechanical engineer · San Luis Obispo, CA

Mechanical engineer in San Luis Obispo: $2,094/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in San Luis Obispo at $102,270 a year. About 140 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a smaller share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 0.59). The 10th percentile is $74,260 and the 90th is $150,760. Pay ranks 122nd-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,013/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,094 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Hanford, about 59 miles away, at $4,293 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,094

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$102,270

$74,260 to $150,760

Rent (1 bd)

$2,013

$2,396 (2 bd)

Employment

140

Location quotient 0.59

Pay rank

122nd of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

4.2×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $102,270.

Taxes$2,290
Rent$2,013
Other living costs$2,126
Left over$2,094

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $102,270
Federal income tax: −$14,113
Social Security and Medicare: −$7,824
State income tax (CA): −$5,538
Take-home pay: $74,795
Effective tax rate: 26.9%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,013
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $556
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,139

Left over each month

$8,523 gross, minus $2,290 in tax and $4,139 in living costs.

$2,094

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 →

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Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in San Luis Obispo?

$102,270 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 San Luis Obispo?

$2,094 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,013, and pay covers 4.2× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Hanford, about 59 miles away, leaves $4,293 a month, more than San Luis Obispo.