Mechanical engineer · Waterloo, IA

Mechanical engineer in Waterloo: $3,111/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median mechanical engineer wage in Waterloo at $88,770 a year. About 190 mechanical engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.21). The 10th percentile is $65,750 and the 90th is $130,560. Pay ranks 301st-highest of 345 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 9.4× a year of one-bedroom rent ($788/mo). Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,111 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Peoria, about 195 miles away, at $4,867 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$3,111

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$88,770

$65,750 to $130,560

Rent (1 bd)

$788

$938 (2 bd)

Employment

190

Location quotient 1.21

Pay rank

301st of 345

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

9.4×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, mechanical engineer pay of $88,770.

Taxes$1,729
Rent$788
Other living costs$1,769
Left over$3,111

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $88,770
Federal income tax: −$11,143
Social Security and Medicare: −$6,791
State income tax (IA): −$2,818
Take-home pay: $68,017
Effective tax rate: 23.4%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $788
Groceries: $347
Getting around: $510
Healthcare: $391
Utilities and internet: $217
Everything else: $304
Total spending: $2,557

Left over each month

$7,398 gross, minus $1,729 in tax and $2,557 in living costs.

$3,111

Rank every metro for a mechanical engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Peoria, $4,867/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 Waterloo?

$88,770 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 Waterloo?

$3,111 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Iowa charges a 3.80% flat income tax Rent is $788, and pay covers 9.4× a year of it.

Where nearby would a mechanical engineer keep more?

Peoria, about 195 miles away, leaves $4,867 a month, more than Waterloo.