Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $119,150 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in San Diego earn between $64,150 and $87,470.
- $52K10th
- $64K25th
- $78KMedian
- $87K75th
- $119K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $80,780 | $6,732 | $38.84 |
| Median | $77,800 | $6,483 | $37.40 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $64,150 | $5,346 | $30.84 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $87,470 | $7,289 | $42.05 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $80,780, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $62,238 a year, or $5,187 a month and $2,394 every two weeks. Taxes take 23% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is San Diego a good place for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Diego area are 12% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 111.9), so the average $80,780 buys what about $72,198 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 11.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 7th of 10 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($104,910).
- San Francisco$104,910
- San Jose$104,510
- Bakersfield$100,700
- Oxnard$88,390
- Santa Rosa$86,890
- Los Angeles$86,170
- San Diego$80,780
- Sacramento$79,250
- Riverside$67,590
- Stockton$63,750
All Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salaries in California
Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
Baton Rouge, LA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($133,940).
- Baton Rouge, LA$133,940
- Kennewick, WA$112,060
- Des Moines, IA$108,940
- San Francisco, CA$104,910
- San Jose, CA$104,510
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary by city
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Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in San Diego: questions
How much do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians make an hour in San Diego?
$38.84 an hour on average, and $37.41 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical engineering technologists and technicians salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $51,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $64,150, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical engineering technologists and technicians take-home pay in San Diego?
About $62,238 a year ($5,187 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $80,780. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($77,510).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-3027; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 4.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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