Mechanical Engineers salary in New Orleans, LA

Median pay for mechanical engineers in New Orleans, LA: $102,010/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $78,000 – $160,210 · about 490 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$6,405 (+7%).

What it's really worth in New Orleans

With New Orleans's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $102,010 has the buying power of about $111,860 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $62,748 · median home $261,414 · median rent $1,622/mo.

Full New Orleans cost of living & taxes →

How New Orleans ranks for this job

On raw pay, New Orleans, LA is 37th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once New Orleans's cost of living is applied, it ranks 18th.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — New Orleans is one of the places where mechanical engineers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.

What that salary buys in New Orleans

A median home in New Orleans, LA costs $261,414 — about 2.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $1,622/mo works out at 19% 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 New Orleans.

Metro	Median pay	vs New Orleans	Rent vs New Orleans
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+50%	2.2×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+34%	2×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+31%	0.9×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+28%	0.9×

Same job elsewhere in LA

Metro	Median pay	vs New Orleans	Rent vs New Orleans
Baton Rouge, LA	$130,490	+28%	0.9×
Lafayette, LA	$72,030	−29%	0.8×

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

Who hires mechanical engineers around New Orleans

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Entergy · Energy

Other jobs in New Orleans