Mechanical Engineers pay range in Santa Cruz
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $94,180 a year or less, while the top 10% make $211,260 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineers in Santa Cruz earn between $108,700 and $165,070.
- $94K10th
- $109K25th
- $133KMedian
- $165K75th
- $211K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $139,810 | $11,651 | $67.22 |
| Median | $132,920 | $11,077 | $63.90 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $108,700 | $9,058 | $52.26 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $165,070 | $13,756 | $79.36 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Mechanical Engineers salary after taxes in Santa Cruz
On the average salary of $139,810, a single filer in Santa Cruz takes home about $97,916 a year, or $8,160 a month and $3,766 every two weeks. Taxes take 30% 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 Santa Cruz a good place for mechanical engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Santa Cruz area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.9), so the average $139,810 buys what about $127,220 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in Santa Cruz ($54,730). A typical home costs $1,157,157, or 8.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Mechanical Engineers salary in other California cities
Santa Cruz ranks 3rd 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 Santa Cruz: questions
How much do mechanical engineers make an hour in Santa Cruz?
$67.22 an hour on average, and $63.91 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level mechanical engineers salary in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $94,180 a year and the 25th percentile is $108,700, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the mechanical engineers take-home pay in Santa Cruz?
About $97,916 a year ($8,160 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $139,810. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do mechanical engineers earn more in Santa Cruz than elsewhere?
The average here is 22% 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 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA (42100). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
- 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 0.99, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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