Mechanical Engineer Salary
The median pay for a mechanical engineers in Delaware is $125,130/year ($60.16/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $168K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.51), that's roughly $128,325 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,448/month, or 19.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Delaware. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $125K actually covers in Delaware, month by month
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What this looks like in Delaware
Delaware sits well above the national pay line for mechanical engineers, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $104K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,448/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 97.51) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Delaware offers a genuinely strong financial position for mechanical engineers at the median.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Delaware
Entry-level mechanical engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $125K. Top earners bring in $168K or more, a $102K spread from bottom to top.
Mechanical Engineers salary by metro in Delaware
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | $101K | -19% | 80 |
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a mechanical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Delaware?
Yes — at the median salary of $125K, rent takes 19.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,448/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical engineers in Delaware?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,303/month. At HUD’s $1,448/month FMR, rent would take 34% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is mechanical engineer a high-paying job in Delaware?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $125K here vs. $104K nationally.
How does Delaware compare to the national average for mechanical engineers?
Delaware pays $125K median vs. the U.S. average of $104K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $128K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do mechanical engineers make in Delaware?
The median is $125,130 a year, that works out to about $60 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,890, and experienced mechanical engineers can clear $168,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $125K enough to live in Delaware?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,439/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,448/month, which eats 19.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a mechanical engineers salary go in Delaware?
Delaware has a Regional Price Parity of 97.51 (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 engineers salary is worth about $128,325 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do mechanical engineers 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.