Mechanical Engineers pay range in San Diego
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,460 a year or less, while the top 10% make $172,760 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineers in San Diego earn between $96,860 and $151,920.
- $81K10th
- $97K25th
- $122KMedian
- $152K75th
- $173K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $124,420 | $10,368 | $59.82 |
| Median | $121,750 | $10,146 | $58.53 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $96,860 | $8,072 | $46.57 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $151,920 | $12,660 | $73.04 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Engineers salary after taxes in San Diego
On the average salary of $124,420, a single filer in San Diego takes home about $88,828 a year, or $7,402 a month and $3,416 every two weeks. Taxes take 29% 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 engineers? 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 $124,420 buys what about $111,201 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in San Diego ($58,690). A typical home costs $946,365, or 7.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Engineers salary in other California cities
San Diego ranks 6th of 23 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($165,920).
- San Jose$165,920
- San Francisco$158,690
- Santa Cruz$139,810
- Santa Maria$130,120
- Salinas$128,240
- San Diego$124,420
- Los Angeles$123,940
- Sacramento$123,710
- Chico$122,870
- Bakersfield$121,730
Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($165,920).
- San Jose, CA$165,920
- San Francisco, CA$158,690
- Santa Cruz, CA$139,810
- Augusta, GA$137,040
- Baton Rouge, LA$136,970
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Mechanical Engineers salary in San Diego: questions
How much do mechanical engineers make an hour in San Diego?
$59.82 an hour on average, and $58.54 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical engineers salary in San Diego?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $81,460 a year and the 25th percentile is $96,860, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical engineers take-home pay in San Diego?
About $88,828 a year ($7,402 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $124,420. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do mechanical engineers earn more in San Diego than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,695).
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 17-2141; area San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (41740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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 1.15, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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