Mechanical Engineers Salary
The median pay for a mechanical engineers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is $104,910/year ($50.44/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $158K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.44), so that salary is closer to $98,563 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,201/month, about 34.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $105K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.44). 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 engineers
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What this looks like in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Mechanical engineers pay in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario tracks closely to the national median, $105K locally vs. $104K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $2,201/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.44), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for mechanical engineers in metros near Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $124K | $109K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $168K | $152K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $161K | $140K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $122K | $109K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level mechanical engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $158K or more, a $91K spread from bottom to top.
Mechanical Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Mechanical Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | $158K | +51% | 2,710 |
| District of Columbia | $133K | +28% | 510 |
| California | $131K | +26% | 30,530 |
| Delaware | $125K | +20% | 610 |
| Colorado | $124K | +20% | 7,190 |
| Alaska | $124K | +19% | 380 |
| Maryland | $123K | +18% | 6,550 |
| Louisiana | $120K | +15% | 1,890 |
| Massachusetts | $119K | +15% | 7,680 |
| Wyoming | $118K | +13% | 230 |
| Rhode Island | $116K | +12% | 1,560 |
| Texas | $112K | +8% | 22,080 |
| New Jersey | $112K | +8% | 4,180 |
| Washington | $110K | +6% | 8,240 |
| Vermont | $107K | +3% | 530 |
| Connecticut | $105K | +1% | 4,600 |
| Michigan | $105K | +1% | 34,630 |
| South Carolina | $105K | +0% | 5,780 |
| Virginia | $104K | +0% | 7,470 |
| New Hampshire | $104K | -0% | 2,760 |
| Oregon | $103K | -1% | 2,920 |
| Illinois | $103K | -1% | 11,790 |
| Nevada | $103K | -1% | 1,410 |
| Utah | $103K | -2% | 3,370 |
| New York | $102K | -2% | 8,590 |
| Maine | $102K | -2% | 890 |
| Oklahoma | $102K | -2% | 2,270 |
| Kentucky | $101K | -3% | 4,170 |
| North Carolina | $101K | -3% | 9,560 |
| Georgia | $101K | -3% | 5,290 |
| Arizona | $100K | -4% | 5,050 |
| Alabama | $100K | -4% | N/A |
| Florida | $100K | -4% | 10,740 |
| Indiana | $100K | -4% | 8,690 |
| Tennessee | $100K | -4% | 3,930 |
| Missouri | $99K | -5% | 4,870 |
| Minnesota | $99K | -5% | 5,890 |
| Ohio | $99K | -5% | 14,390 |
| Hawaii | $99K | -5% | 530 |
| Mississippi | $98K | -6% | 1,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -6% | 13,550 |
| Iowa | $98K | -6% | 3,470 |
| West Virginia | $97K | -6% | 760 |
| Wisconsin | $96K | -8% | 7,470 |
| Montana | $94K | -10% | 500 |
| Idaho | $93K | -10% | 1,070 |
| South Dakota | $88K | -15% | 560 |
| Nebraska | $88K | -15% | 950 |
| North Dakota | $86K | -17% | 790 |
| Kansas | $86K | -17% | 4,630 |
| Arkansas | $80K | -23% | 1,410 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track mechanical engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a mechanical engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 34.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,201/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for mechanical engineers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new mechanical engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,983/month. At HUD’s $2,201/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $105K locally vs. $104K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for mechanical engineers?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $104K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.44), the purchasing-power equivalent is $99K — below the national median.
How much do mechanical engineers make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $104,910 a year, that works out to about $50 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $66,390, and experienced mechanical engineers can clear $157,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,358/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,201/month, which eats 34.6% 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 mechanical engineers salary go in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 106.44 (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 mechanical engineers salary is worth about $98,563 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.