SOC 17-2141 · Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro

Mechanical Engineers Salary in Louisville, KY

The average salary for mechanical engineers in Louisville, Kentucky is $101,310 a year ($48.71 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $99,290: half of the 1,320 people in this job in the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 12% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,695).

$101,310average per year

$48.71 / hourMedian $99,290Take-home ≈ $74,445

  • $65K10th
  • $76K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $150K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

1,320people in this job
-12%vs U.S. metro average
#3 of 6Kentucky metros
93cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Mechanical Engineers pay range in Louisville

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,240 a year or less, while the top 10% make $149,940 or more. The middle half of mechanical engineers in Louisville earn between $76,370 and $119,580.

  • $65K10th
  • $76K25th
  • $99KMedian
  • $120K75th
  • $150K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$101,310$8,442$48.71
Median$99,290$8,274$47.74
Entry level (25th percentile)$76,370$6,364$36.72
Experienced (75th percentile)$119,580$9,965$57.49

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Mechanical Engineers salary after taxes in Louisville

On the average salary of $101,310, a single filer in Louisville takes home about $74,445 a year, or $6,204 a month and $2,863 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.

The Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$77,092$6,424
Working in KY$74,445$6,204

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

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Is Louisville a good place for mechanical engineers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Louisville area are 7% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 93.1), so the average $101,310 buys what about $108,849 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Louisville ($48,370). A typical home costs $283,232, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $101,310 is worth in another city

Mechanical Engineers salary in other Kentucky cities

Louisville ranks 3rd of 6 Kentucky metro areas for this job; Elizabethtown pays the most ($110,100).

All Mechanical Engineers salaries in Kentucky

Highest-paying cities for mechanical engineers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($165,920).

Mechanical Engineers salary by city

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Reviewed before it counts. Mechanical Engineers in Louisville, KY.

Mechanical Engineers salary in Louisville: questions

How much do mechanical engineers make an hour in Louisville?

$48.71 an hour on average, and $47.74 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level mechanical engineers salary in Louisville?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $65,240 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,370, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the mechanical engineers take-home pay in Louisville?

About $74,445 a year ($6,204 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $101,310. Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).

Do mechanical engineers earn more in Louisville than elsewhere?

The average here is 12% less 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 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (31140). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
  • 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 (2026 rules). Includes Louisville's local income tax (2.2%).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.01, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.

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