Mechanical Engineers salary in Roanoke, VA

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Roanoke, VA: $82,910/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $59,390 – $104,610 · about 260 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($95,605) by −$12,695 (-13%).

What it's really worth in Roanoke

With Roanoke's cost of living at 91 (US=100), that $82,910 has the buying power of about $90,905 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $65,687 · median home $301,139 · median rent $1,403/mo.

Full Roanoke cost of living & taxes →

How Roanoke ranks for this job

On raw pay, Roanoke, VA is 148th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Roanoke's cost of living is applied, it ranks 128th.

Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Roanoke 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 Roanoke

A median home in Roanoke, VA costs $301,139 — about 3.6× 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 $1,403/mo works out at 20% 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 Roanoke.

Metro	Median pay	vs Roanoke	Rent vs Roanoke
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+85%	2.6×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+65%	2.3×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+61%	1.1×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+58%	1×

Same job elsewhere in VA

Metro	Median pay	vs Roanoke	Rent vs Roanoke
Virginia Beach, VA	$100,610	+21%	1.3×
Richmond, VA	$93,240	+12%	1.3×
Lynchburg, VA	$78,980	−5%	0.9×

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

Other jobs in Roanoke