Mechanical engineer · Seattle, WA
Mechanical engineer in Seattle: $4,260/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Seattle at $126,590 a year. About 4,500 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is about the same share of local employment as nationwide (location quotient 1.13). The 10th percentile is $81,730 and the 90th is $172,490. Pay ranks 13th-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 6.0× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,758/mo). Washington has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $4,260 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Kennewick, about 143 miles away, at $4,521 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$4,260
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$126,590
$81,730 to $172,490
Rent (1 bd)
$1,758
$2,093 (2 bd)
Employment
4,500
Location quotient 1.13
Pay rank
13th of 345
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
6.0×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $126,590.
- Taxes$2,400
- Rent$1,758
- Other$2,131
- Left$4,260
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $126,590
- Federal income tax
- −$19,116
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,684
- State income tax (WA)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $97,790
- Effective tax rate
- 22.8%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,758
- Groceries
- $452
- Getting around
- $493
- Healthcare
- $508
- Utilities and internet
- $283
- Everything else
- $395
- Total spending
- $3,889
After tax and rent
$4,260 left/mo
Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Kennewick, $4,521/mo.
Mechanical engineer leftover by city →Best cities for mechanical engineers to move to →Mechanical engineer nearby
Compare Seattle with another city
Other jobs in Seattle
- 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 Seattle?
$126,590 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 4,500 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a mechanical engineer in Seattle?
$4,260 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Washington has no state income tax Rent is $1,758, and pay covers 6.0× a year of it.
Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?
Kennewick, about 143 miles away, leaves $4,521 a month, more than Seattle.