Mechanical Engineers salary in Boulder, CO

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Boulder, CO: $106,020/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $78,650 – $171,780 · about 1,060 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$10,415 (+11%).

What it's really worth in Boulder

With Boulder's cost of living at 101 (US=100), that $106,020 has the buying power of about $105,373 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $99,770 · median home $727,954 · median rent $2,257/mo.

Full Boulder cost of living & taxes →

How Boulder ranks for this job

On raw pay, Boulder, CO is 21st of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Boulder's cost of living is applied, it ranks 43rd.

The headline number flatters Boulder. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, mechanical engineers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.

What that salary buys in Boulder

A median home in Boulder, CO costs $727,954 — about 6.9× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,257/mo works out at 26% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where mechanical engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Boulder.

Metro	Median pay	vs Boulder	Rent vs Boulder
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+45%	1.6×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+29%	1.4×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+26%	0.7×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+23%	0.6×

Same job elsewhere in CO

Metro	Median pay	vs Boulder	Rent vs Boulder
Denver, CO	$104,390	−2%	0.8×
Fort Collins, CO	$99,920	−6%	0.9×
Greeley, CO	$99,470	−6%	0.8×

Staying in CO keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires mechanical engineers around Boulder

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Ball Aerospace · Aerospace/Defense

Other jobs in Boulder