Mechanical engineer · Santa Cruz, CA

Mechanical engineer in Santa Cruz: $3,071/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Santa Cruz at $132,920 a year. About 190 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 0.99). The 10th percentile is $94,180 and the 90th is $211,260. Pay ranks 4th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.2× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,638/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,071 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Hanford, about 138 miles away, at $4,293 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,071

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$132,920

$94,180 to $211,260

Rent (1 bd)

$2,638

$3,141 (2 bd)

Employment

190

Location quotient 0.99

Pay rank

4th 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 $132,920.

Taxes$3,309
Rent$2,638
Other living costs$2,059
Left over$3,071

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $132,920
Federal income tax: −$21,148
Social Security and Medicare: −$10,168
State income tax (CA): −$8,389
Take-home pay: $93,215
Effective tax rate: 29.9%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,638
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $489
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,697

Left over each month

$11,077 gross, minus $3,309 in tax and $4,697 in living costs.

$3,071

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

Questions

What does a mechanical engineer make in Santa Cruz?

$132,920 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 190 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.

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

$3,071 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,638, and pay covers 4.2× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Hanford, about 138 miles away, leaves $4,293 a month, more than Santa Cruz.