Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians Salary
The median pay for a mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $91,450/year ($43.97/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $124K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $92,720 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,573/month, or 25.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $91K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits well above the national pay line for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $75K. Rent runs $1,573/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $72K | $70K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $65K | $66K |
| El Paso | $66K | $73K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $69K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level mechanical engineering technologists and technicians (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $124K or more, a $71K spread from bottom to top.
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | $103K | +38% | 270 |
| New Mexico | $98K | +31% | 320 |
| Missouri | $92K | +24% | 800 |
| California | $87K | +17% | 3,660 |
| Connecticut | $83K | +11% | 350 |
| Rhode Island | $82K | +10% | 30 |
| Oregon | $81K | +8% | 260 |
| Nebraska | $80K | +7% | 250 |
| Washington | $79K | +7% | 890 |
| Maryland | $79K | +6% | 640 |
| Ohio | $79K | +5% | 1,800 |
| New York | $78K | +5% | 1,140 |
| Kentucky | $78K | +5% | 520 |
| Delaware | $78K | +4% | 50 |
| Indiana | $77K | +4% | 1,500 |
| Colorado | $77K | +3% | 330 |
| Illinois | $77K | +3% | 1,170 |
| Maine | $77K | +3% | 220 |
| Texas | $77K | +3% | 2,140 |
| North Dakota | $76K | +3% | 90 |
| Virginia | $76K | +2% | 670 |
| Georgia | $74K | -1% | 560 |
| Nevada | $73K | -2% | 420 |
| Arizona | $72K | -3% | 730 |
| Iowa | $72K | -4% | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $71K | -5% | 1,620 |
| Mississippi | $71K | -5% | 220 |
| South Carolina | $70K | -7% | 1,290 |
| Idaho | $68K | -8% | 30 |
| Michigan | $68K | -9% | 4,930 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | -9% | 900 |
| New Hampshire | $67K | -10% | 570 |
| New Jersey | $65K | -13% | 260 |
| Minnesota | $64K | -14% | 400 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | -16% | 1,310 |
| North Carolina | $62K | -16% | 1,190 |
| Tennessee | $62K | -16% | 580 |
| Utah | $62K | -17% | 900 |
| Oklahoma | $61K | -17% | 490 |
| Alabama | $60K | -19% | 400 |
| Florida | $60K | -20% | 540 |
| Kansas | $55K | -26% | 410 |
| South Dakota | $54K | -28% | 110 |
| West Virginia | $48K | -36% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 44 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track mechanical engineering technologists and technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a mechanical engineering technologists and technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Yes — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 26% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical engineering technologists and technicians typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,215/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is mechanical engineering technologists and technician a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $91K here vs. $75K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for mechanical engineering technologists and technicians?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $75K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $91,450 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $53,580, and experienced mechanical engineering technologists and technicians can clear $124,080. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,060/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 26% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a mechanical engineering technologists and technicians salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median mechanical engineering technologists and technicians salary is worth about $92,720 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do mechanical engineering technologists and technicians 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.