Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Mechanical Engineers actually take home in Massachusetts?
5.0% flat rate — 27.9% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Mechanical Engineers earning $119,300 in Massachusetts (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $119,300 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$18,170 | 15.2% |
| Massachusetts State Income Tax | -$5,965 | 5.0% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$7,396 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,729 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$33,261 | 27.9% |
| Take-Home Pay | $86,038 | 72.1% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $79,570 | -$19,412 | $60,157 | 24.4% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $96,440 | -$25,257 | $71,182 | 26.2% |
| Median (P50) | $119,300 | -$33,261 | $86,038 | 27.9% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $140,590 | -$41,064 | $99,525 | 29.2% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $166,480 | -$50,553 | $115,926 | 30.4% |
After federal income tax ($18,170), state tax ($5,965), and FICA ($9,126), a Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts takes home $86,038 per year — or $7,169 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.9% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts loses 27.9% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $119,300 gross, $86,038 lands in the paycheck after federal ($18,170), state ($5,965), and FICA ($9,126) withholding.
Massachusetts applies a flat state income tax — every dollar of wage income is taxed at the same rate. For this Mechanical Engineers salary that contributes $5,965 to the 5.0% effective state-tax burden.
Federal tax on this Mechanical Engineers salary is $18,170 (55%), but combined state ($5,965, 18%) + FICA ($9,126, 27%) make up the other 45% of the bill.
Moving this same Mechanical Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $92,003 net — a gain of $5,965 (6.9%) per year versus Massachusetts.
For Mechanical Engineers after-tax pay, Massachusetts ranks #11 of 51 states — top quartile. High gross wages or low state-tax burden (or both) drive the strong ranking.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $86,038 net/year works out to $7,170/month or $3,309/bi-weekly for this Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Mechanical Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Massachusetts ranks #11 out of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts earning a median salary of $119,300 will take home approximately $86,038 per year after federal income tax ($18,170), state income tax ($5,965), and FICA ($9,126). That is $7,169 per month or $3,309 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts is 27.9%, broken down as: federal income tax 15.2%, Massachusetts state tax 5.0%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.7%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Massachusetts has a 5.0% flat rate. On a Mechanical Engineers's median salary of $119,300, the state income tax amounts to $5,965 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.0%.
After all taxes, a Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts takes home approximately $7,169 per month, or about $41.36 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $119,300 for Mechanical Engineers in Massachusetts, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Massachusetts state income tax (5.0% flat rate), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $86,038/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR