Mechanical Engineers salary in Denver, CO

Median pay for mechanical engineers in Denver, CO: $104,390/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $68,990 – $170,280 · about 4,140 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($95,605) by +$8,785 (+9%).

What it's really worth in Denver

With Denver's cost of living at 106 (US=100), that $104,390 has the buying power of about $98,697 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $96,920 · median home $573,221 · median rent $1,910/mo.

Full Denver cost of living & taxes →

How Denver ranks for this job

On raw pay, Denver, CO is 25th of the 180 metros we hold mechanical engineers wages for. Once Denver's cost of living is applied, it ranks 76th.

The headline number flatters Denver. 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 Denver

A median home in Denver, CO costs $573,221 — about 5.5× 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 $1,910/mo works out at 22% 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 Denver.

Metro	Median pay	vs Denver	Rent vs Denver
San Jose, CA	$153,520	+47%	1.9×
San Francisco, CA	$136,970	+31%	1.7×
Albuquerque, NM	$133,660	+28%	0.8×
Tyler, TX	$130,720	+25%	0.7×

Same job elsewhere in CO

Metro	Median pay	vs Denver	Rent vs Denver
Boulder, CO	$106,020	+2%	1.2×
Fort Collins, CO	$99,920	−4%	1×
Greeley, CO	$99,470	−5%	0.9×

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

Who hires mechanical engineers around Denver

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Lockheed Martin · Aerospace/Defense
• Xcel Energy · Energy

Other jobs in Denver