Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Mechanical Engineers actually take home in Virginia?
Progressive (up to 5.8%) — 27.3% 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 $104,180 in Virginia (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $104,180 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$14,760 | 14.2% |
| Virginia State Income Tax | -$5,732 | 5.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,459 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,510 | 1.4% |
| Total Taxes | -$28,463 | 27.3% |
| Take-Home Pay | $75,716 | 72.7% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Mechanical Engineers in Virginia.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $77,840 | -$19,138 | $58,701 | 24.6% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $85,410 | -$21,818 | $63,591 | 25.5% |
| Median (P50) | $104,180 | -$28,463 | $75,716 | 27.3% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $131,250 | -$38,368 | $92,881 | 29.2% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $160,770 | -$49,408 | $111,361 | 30.7% |
After federal income tax ($14,760), state tax ($5,732), and FICA ($7,969), a Mechanical Engineers in Virginia takes home $75,716 per year — or $6,309 per month. The effective tax rate of 27.3% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Mechanical Engineers in Virginia loses 27.3% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $104,180 gross, $75,717 lands in the paycheck after federal ($14,761), state ($5,733), and FICA ($7,970) withholding.
Virginia uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Mechanical Engineers salary the state tax works out to $5,733 (5.5% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Mechanical Engineers salary is $14,761 (52%), but combined state ($5,733, 20%) + FICA ($7,970, 28%) make up the other 48% of the bill.
Moving this same Mechanical Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $81,450 net — a gain of $5,733 (7.6%) per year versus Virginia.
Virginia ranks #25 of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after-tax pay — comfortably in the upper half.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $75,717 net/year works out to $6,310/month or $2,912/bi-weekly for this Mechanical Engineers in Virginia — 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.
Virginia ranks #25 out of 51 states for Mechanical Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Mechanical Engineers in Virginia earning a median salary of $104,180 will take home approximately $75,716 per year after federal income tax ($14,760), state income tax ($5,732), and FICA ($7,969). That is $6,309 per month or $2,912 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Mechanical Engineers in Virginia is 27.3%, broken down as: federal income tax 14.2%, Virginia state tax 5.5%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Virginia has a progressive (up to 5.8%). On a Mechanical Engineers's median salary of $104,180, the state income tax amounts to $5,732 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.5%.
After all taxes, a Mechanical Engineers in Virginia takes home approximately $6,309 per month, or about $36.40 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 $104,180 for Mechanical Engineers in Virginia, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Virginia state income tax (progressive (up to 5.8%)), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $75,716/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