Mechanical Engineers salary in Seattle, WA

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Seattle, WA: $108,730/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $76,200 – $167,670 · about 3,770 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$13,125 (+14%).

What it's really worth in Seattle

With Seattle's cost of living at 113 (US=100), that $108,730 has the buying power of about $96,451 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $107,206 · median home $750,279 · median rent $2,232/mo.

Full Seattle cost of living & taxes →

How Seattle ranks for this job

On raw pay, Seattle, WA is 17th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Seattle's cost of living is applied, it ranks 90th.

The headline number flatters Seattle. 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 Seattle

A median home in Seattle, WA costs $750,279 — 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 $2,232/mo works out at 25% 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 Seattle.

Metro	Median pay	vs Seattle	Rent vs Seattle
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+41%	1.6×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+26%	1.5×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+23%	0.7×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+20%	0.6×

Same job elsewhere in WA

Metro	Median pay	vs Seattle	Rent vs Seattle
Kennewick, WA	$108,600	+0%	0.8×
Bremerton, WA	$101,320	−7%	0.9×
Spokane, WA	$89,980	−17%	0.7×
Yakima, WA	$88,950	−18%	0.6×

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

Who hires mechanical engineers around Seattle

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Boeing · Aerospace/Defense

Other jobs in Seattle