What does a Mechanical Engineers salary really buy you in Vermont?
Vermont is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-04-02
Vermont's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.1, meaning prices are 1.1% higher the national average. A Mechanical Engineers earning $97,970 in Vermont has the equivalent purchasing power of $96,904 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Vermont's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $70,700 | $69,930 | $-769 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $78,550 | $77,695 | $-854 |
| Median (P50) | $97,970 | $96,904 | $-1,065 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $107,690 | $106,518 | $-1,171 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $131,850 | $130,415 | $-1,434 |
Vermont's cost of living is close to the national average, so $97,970 keeps most of its value at $96,904 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Mechanical Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Vermont ranks #29 out of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
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How much do you actually take home? See Mechanical Engineers take-home pay in Vermont after taxes →
A Mechanical Engineers in Vermont earns a median salary of $97,970 per year. After adjusting for Vermont's cost of living (RPP=101.1), the real purchasing power is $96,904 — a -1.1% difference.
Vermont's cost of living is 1.1% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Vermont is 101.1 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Mechanical Engineers in Vermont: $97,970 x (100 / 101.1) = $96,904. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.