Mechanical Engineers salary in Tampa, FL
Median pay for mechanical engineers in Tampa, FL: $85,580/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $62,520 – $144,500 · about 1,290 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($95,605) by −$10,025 (-10%).
What it's really worth in Tampa
With Tampa's cost of living at 102 (US=100), that $85,580 has the buying power of about $83,515 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $67,197 · median home $360,738 · median rent $2,018/mo.
How Tampa ranks for this job
On raw pay, Tampa, FL is 128th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Tampa's cost of living is applied, it ranks 166th.
The headline number flatters Tampa. 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 Tampa
A median home in Tampa, FL costs $360,738 — about 4.2× 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 $2,018/mo works out at 28% 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 Tampa.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Tampa | Rent vs Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $153,520 | +79% | 1.8× |
| San Francisco, CA | $136,970 | +60% | 1.6× |
| Albuquerque, NM | $133,660 | +56% | 0.7× |
| Tyler, TX | $130,720 | +53% | 0.7× |
Same job elsewhere in FL
| Metro | Median pay | vs Tampa | Rent vs Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Bay, FL | $100,880 | +18% | 1× |
| Gainesville, FL | $98,900 | +16% | 0.8× |
| Orlando, FL | $98,060 | +15% | 1× |
| Miami, FL | $96,680 | +13% | 1.3× |
Staying in FL keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Tampa
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 180 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.