Mechanical Engineer pay in Boston, by the numbers
Monthly take-home on that median is roughly US$8,500; local prices sit at COL 100, so its buying power is about US$119,300.
Mechanical Engineer pay in Boston: national and in-state ranking
On a United States league table of 21 metros, Boston comes 9th. One place higher is San Diego at US$121,750, one lower is New York at US$109,990, and San Jose tops the list.
With Boston as the sole MA entry for mechanical engineers, the useful benchmarks are national: 9th of 21, +15% vs the median.
What the Boston median is worth after tax and rent
With a COL index of 100, there is little difference between headline pay and price-adjusted pay (US$119,300).
Adjusting for prices does not move Boston in the ranking: it is 9th of 21 on both cash and buying power.
After a simplified 15% effective national income tax, the median nets about US$8,500 a month. A modeled 1-bedroom (US$1,650) takes 19% of that, leaving around US$4,990 after modeled living costs.
If you compared Boston with similarly priced cities
In New York — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$109,990 (-8% vs Boston), and the modeled budget leaves US$610 less each month.
Los Angeles (similar cost level, COL 100) pays US$123,900, 4% more than Boston; modeled monthly leftover is US$290 higher.
In Chicago — similar cost level, COL 100 — the median is US$102,070 (-14% vs Boston), and the modeled budget leaves US$1,120 less each month.
Other Boston jobs compared with mechanical engineer
Mechanical Engineer ranks 4th of 9 occupations with observed Boston data. Lawyer leads the city at US$183,350.
Closest neighbours in the Boston list: Data Scientist at US$132,040 (+11%) and Financial Analyst at US$117,520 (-1%).
Where Boston stands for junior and senior mechanical engineers
Entry-level mechanical engineers fare better here (6th of 21 at the 10th percentile, US$80,280) than senior ones (11th at the 90th, US$166,900).
For the top 10% of earners, San Jose leads with US$217,530 at the 90th percentile, +30% against Boston.
How wide mechanical engineer pay runs in Boston
Pay is spread out: US$80,280 at the 10th percentile to US$166,900 at the 90th (2.1×). Level and setting matter more than the city average here.