GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Mechanical Engineers
Best States to Be a Mechanical Engineers
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a mechanical engineers salary goes furthest in New Mexico — a $157,710 BLS median worth $164,034 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 156.6).
Which US states are best for a mechanical engineers after cost of living and tax?
For a mechanical engineers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks New Mexico #1: a $157,710 BLS median becomes $164,034 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 156.6). Hawaii ranks last ($84,370, index 80.6). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
New Mexico ranks #1 of 51 states for a mechanical engineers. Index 100 = the average state; 156.6 means pay goes 56.6% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedMechanical Engineers — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico | $157,710 | $6,451 | 92.2 | $164,034 | 156.6 |
| 2 | Louisiana | $119,540 | $3,211 | 88.2 | $131,882 | 125.9 |
| 3 | Wyoming | $117,750 | — | 92.7 | $127,035 | 121.3 |
| 4 | Alaska | $124,340 | — | 102.4 | $121,474 | 116.0 |
| 5 | Delaware | $125,130 | $6,918 | 99.8 | $118,440 | 113.1 |
| 6 | Colorado | $124,430 | $4,815 | 103.1 | $116,073 | 110.8 |
| 7 | Texas | $112,410 | — | 97.1 | $115,819 | 110.6 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $133,300 | $8,456 | 109.9 | $113,597 | 108.5 |
| 9 | Maryland | $122,870 | $5,546 | 105.0 | $111,781 | 106.7 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $101,850 | $4,300 | 87.8 | $111,050 | 106.0 |
| 11 | California | $130,900 | $8,052 | 110.7 | $110,954 | 106.0 |
| 12 | Rhode Island | $116,230 | $3,962 | 102.3 | $109,765 | 104.8 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $98,000 | $3,507 | 87.0 | $108,672 | 103.8 |
| 14 | Tennessee | $99,550 | — | 91.9 | $108,360 | 103.5 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $101,050 | $3,911 | 90.2 | $107,742 | 102.9 |
| 16 | Alabama | $100,230 | $4,747 | 88.8 | $107,499 | 102.7 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $119,300 | $5,745 | 105.8 | $107,374 | 102.5 |
| 18 | Iowa | $97,700 | $3,673 | 87.8 | $107,139 | 102.3 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $104,580 | $4,877 | 93.7 | $106,351 | 101.6 |
| 20 | Missouri | $99,330 | $3,788 | 90.8 | $105,203 | 100.5 |
| 21 | Vermont | $107,330 | $4,702 | 98.0 | $104,767 | 100.0 |
| 22 | Ohio | $99,100 | $1,943 | 92.8 | $104,725 | 100.0 |
| 23 | Michigan | $104,890 | $4,211 | 96.2 | $104,637 | 99.9 |
| 24 | West Virginia | $97,390 | $3,759 | 89.5 | $104,619 | 99.9 |
| 25 | Indiana | $99,590 | $2,958 | 93.3 | $103,539 | 98.9 |
| 26 | Washington | $110,430 | — | 107.0 | $103,193 | 98.5 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $100,720 | $3,739 | 94.3 | $102,815 | 98.2 |
| 28 | Nevada | $102,680 | — | 100.0 | $102,702 | 98.1 |
| 29 | Maine | $102,430 | $5,375 | 97.0 | $100,006 | 95.5 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $88,380 | — | 88.6 | $99,767 | 95.3 |
| 31 | Georgia | $100,620 | $4,777 | 96.3 | $99,533 | 95.1 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $103,660 | — | 104.2 | $99,515 | 95.0 |
| 33 | Utah | $102,500 | $4,664 | 98.9 | $98,960 | 94.5 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $112,300 | $4,964 | 108.8 | $98,650 | 94.2 |
| 35 | Virginia | $104,180 | $5,191 | 101.1 | $97,908 | 93.5 |
| 36 | Illinois | $102,680 | $4,942 | 100.0 | $97,779 | 93.4 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $95,870 | $3,929 | 94.1 | $97,711 | 93.3 |
| 38 | Arizona | $100,270 | $2,032 | 100.7 | $97,578 | 93.2 |
| 39 | Connecticut | $105,090 | $4,205 | 103.6 | $97,370 | 93.0 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | $97,920 | $3,006 | 97.6 | $97,276 | 92.9 |
| 41 | Florida | $99,980 | — | 103.4 | $96,679 | 92.3 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $86,330 | $446 | 89.0 | $96,544 | 92.2 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $99,140 | $5,253 | 98.6 | $95,200 | 90.9 |
| 44 | Montana | $94,190 | $4,419 | 94.6 | $94,850 | 90.6 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $88,060 | $3,483 | 90.1 | $93,867 | 89.6 |
| 46 | Idaho | $93,190 | $4,187 | 95.5 | $93,203 | 89.0 |
| 47 | Oregon | $103,470 | $8,250 | 103.4 | $92,124 | 88.0 |
| 48 | Kansas | $86,260 | $4,014 | 90.1 | $91,316 | 87.2 |
| 49 | New York | $102,440 | $5,098 | 107.9 | $90,197 | 86.1 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $80,180 | $2,919 | 86.9 | $88,871 | 84.9 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $98,740 | $5,974 | 110.0 | $84,370 | 80.6 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In New Mexico, a $157,710 salary is worth about $160,939 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $9,305 (≈ top marginal 5.90% (upper bound)) · take-home $148,405 · BEA cost of living 92.2 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $178,030, a $17,091 gain over New Mexico.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $178,030 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $174,332 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $173,431 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $173,393 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $172,873 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $172,852 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $171,666 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $171,008 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $170,146 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $168,678 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $167,927 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $167,724 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Mechanical Engineers — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a mechanical engineers?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, New Mexico is the best state for a mechanical engineers: a BLS median of $157,710 is worth $164,034 after the 2025 state income tax ($6,451) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 92.2), an index of 156.6 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. New Mexico has the highest headline BLS median for a mechanical engineers at $157,710, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #1 of 51 on real pay (index 156.6). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a mechanical engineers salary go least far?
- Hawaii ranks last of 51 states for a mechanical engineers: a $98,740 BLS median is worth only $84,370 after tax and cost of living (index 80.6). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
Compare other occupations
- Home Health and Personal Care AidesWashington
- Retail SalespersonsNorth Dakota
- Fast Food and Counter WorkersCalifornia
- General and Operations ManagersSouth Dakota
- Registered NursesCalifornia
- CashiersWashington
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, HandNorth Dakota
- Stockers and Order FillersWyoming
- Customer Service RepresentativesIowa
- Office Clerks, GeneralNorth Dakota
- Waiters and WaitressesVermont
- Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping CleanersWashington
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a mechanical engineers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.