Engineers, All Other Salary
In Salinas, CA, engineers, all others earn $98,950 at the median, or about $47.57 an hour. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $164K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $90,747 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 43.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $99K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About engineers, all others
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What this looks like in Salinas
Pay for engineers, all other in Salinas runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $123K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,684/month, which is 44.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for engineers, all others.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for engineers, all others in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $125K | $110K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $170K | $154K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $160K | $138K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $133K | $119K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level engineers, all others (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $99K. Top earners bring in $164K or more, a $107K spread from bottom to top.
Engineers, All Other pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Engineers, All Other salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $162K | +32% | 2,190 |
| Alabama | $153K | +24% | 3,460 |
| District of Columbia | $152K | +24% | 3,560 |
| Virginia | $148K | +21% | 5,060 |
| Alaska | $142K | +16% | 200 |
| Washington | $135K | +9% | 3,580 |
| Colorado | $133K | +8% | 2,540 |
| New Jersey | $132K | +8% | 4,540 |
| Massachusetts | $131K | +7% | 2,850 |
| Idaho | $131K | +7% | 560 |
| California | $131K | +6% | 28,610 |
| Maryland | $130K | +6% | 7,340 |
| New Hampshire | $128K | +4% | 610 |
| Vermont | $127K | +3% | 390 |
| Connecticut | $124K | +1% | 2,430 |
| Oregon | $123K | +0% | 2,030 |
| Hawaii | $123K | -0% | 1,100 |
| Michigan | $121K | -2% | 7,700 |
| Indiana | $121K | -2% | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $120K | -2% | 7,000 |
| Maine | $120K | -2% | 590 |
| Oklahoma | $120K | -3% | 860 |
| West Virginia | $119K | -3% | 660 |
| New York | $118K | -4% | 5,760 |
| Rhode Island | $117K | -5% | 380 |
| Texas | $116K | -6% | 10,820 |
| Wyoming | $113K | -8% | 110 |
| North Carolina | $112K | -9% | 4,270 |
| Georgia | $112K | -9% | 4,120 |
| South Dakota | $112K | -9% | 110 |
| Illinois | $112K | -9% | 2,520 |
| Mississippi | $111K | -10% | 480 |
| South Carolina | $110K | -10% | 1,280 |
| Wisconsin | $110K | -10% | 690 |
| Utah | $110K | -10% | 1,750 |
| Pennsylvania | $109K | -11% | 3,250 |
| Minnesota | $109K | -11% | 1,290 |
| Florida | $105K | -14% | 8,600 |
| Nevada | $104K | -16% | 870 |
| Delaware | $104K | -16% | N/A |
| Iowa | $103K | -16% | 1,100 |
| Missouri | $103K | -16% | 1,850 |
| Arizona | $102K | -17% | 1,720 |
| North Dakota | $100K | -18% | 220 |
| Kentucky | $100K | -19% | 500 |
| Louisiana | $99K | -19% | 6,310 |
| Montana | $97K | -21% | 240 |
| Tennessee | $97K | -21% | 4,400 |
| Nebraska | $88K | -28% | 300 |
| Arkansas | $77K | -37% | 820 |
| Kansas | $76K | -38% | 780 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track engineers, all other salary changes
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Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a engineers, all other afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $99K, rent takes 44.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for engineers, all others in Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new engineers, all others typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,443/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 78% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is engineers, all other a high-paying job in Salinas?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $99K here vs. $123K nationally.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for engineers, all others?
Salinas pays $99K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $91K — below the national median.
How much do engineers, all others make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $98,950 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $57,390, and experienced engineers, all others can clear $164,140. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $99K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,055/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 44.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a engineers, all other salary go in Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median engineers, all other salary is worth about $90,747 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do engineers, all others get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.