SOC 17-2051 · May 2025
Civil Engineer Salary
Civil Engineers in the US earn a median of $100,840 a year ($52.24 an hour on average), according to the BLS May 2025 wage survey. Average Civil Engineer pay climbed from $94,360 in 2019 to $108,670 in 2025, a +15.2% change in 6 years.
Median annual
$100,840
Half of all Civil Engineers in the United States earn more than this figure, half earn less. From the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release.
Wage trend
+15.2% since 2019 · +1.5% YoY
Hourly
$52.24
Job growth 2025-35
+6.4%
US workers
367,840
BLS series
Annual median wage for Civil Engineers in All Industries in the United States
Salary range
From entry to top decile
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Civil Engineers is $68,240 – $163,220.
Percentile distribution
USD · annual
10th
$68,240
25th
$79,930
Median
$100,840
75th
$129,680
90th
$163,220
Percentile bands
Where your pay would sit
Percentile bands
Annual wages at each point of the BLS distribution for Civil Engineers. Where you sit depends on experience, employer, location and credentials.
| Percentile | What it means | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | 10% earn less. Common for new entrants | $68,240 |
| 25th percentile | A quarter earn less | $79,930 |
| Median | Half earn more, half earn less | $100,840 |
| 75th percentile | A quarter earn more | $129,680 |
| 90th percentile | 10% earn more. Often senior or specialist staff | $163,220 |
Geography
Civil Engineer pay by state
Civil Engineers earn the most in California ($122,500, +21% against the national median) and the least in Georgia ($84,240). BLS publishes a May 2025 estimate for this occupation in 51 of 51 states and D.C.
National median
$100,840
Highest-paying states for civil engineers
| State | Annual median | vs national | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $122,500 | +21% | 55,180 |
| Alaska | $114,730 | +14% | 1,670 |
| Washington | $110,000 | +9% | 12,590 |
| Massachusetts | $106,730 | +6% | 9,450 |
| Louisiana | $105,380 | +5% | 3,780 |
| Oregon | $105,250 | +4% | 4,890 |
| New Jersey | $104,660 | +4% | 6,900 |
| Nevada | $104,310 | +3% | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $103,900 | +3% | 1,350 |
| D.C. | $103,880 | +3% | 1,650 |
All 51 states, highest to lowest
| State | Annual median | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| California | $122,500 | 55,180 |
| Alaska | $114,730 | 1,670 |
| Washington | $110,000 | 12,590 |
| Massachusetts | $106,730 | 9,450 |
| Louisiana | $105,380 | 3,780 |
| Oregon | $105,250 | 4,890 |
| New Jersey | $104,660 | 6,900 |
| Nevada | $104,310 | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $103,900 | 1,350 |
| D.C. | $103,880 | 1,650 |
| New York | $103,760 | 17,500 |
| Connecticut | $103,150 | 4,370 |
| Nebraska | $103,150 | 2,360 |
| South Carolina | $101,600 | 7,180 |
| Minnesota | $101,480 | 4,710 |
| Colorado | $101,420 | 13,290 |
| Kentucky | $100,930 | 2,690 |
| North Carolina | $100,730 | 12,810 |
| Maryland | $100,680 | 5,240 |
| Delaware | $100,220 | 920 |
| Mississippi | $100,170 | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $99,760 | 13,910 |
| Rhode Island | $99,300 | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $99,010 | 5,370 |
| Oklahoma | $98,760 | 2,180 |
| New Hampshire | $98,710 | 1,620 |
| South Dakota | $98,700 | 1,440 |
| Florida | $98,570 | 23,750 |
| Indiana | $98,270 | 4,030 |
| North Dakota | $98,190 | 1,380 |
| Idaho | $98,030 | 2,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,850 | 15,870 |
| Maine | $97,820 | 1,240 |
| Virginia | $97,120 | 11,350 |
| Kansas | $96,880 | 2,880 |
| Texas | $96,860 | 34,870 |
| Utah | $96,830 | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $96,430 | 2,500 |
| Ohio | $96,220 | 10,560 |
| Tennessee | $95,910 | 5,790 |
| Vermont | $95,600 | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $94,600 | 7,410 |
| Hawaii | $94,280 | 2,640 |
| Montana | $93,070 | 1,870 |
| Missouri | $92,750 | 5,760 |
| Michigan | $92,100 | 7,760 |
| Wyoming | $90,590 | 990 |
| Arizona | $89,660 | 5,940 |
| West Virginia | $86,930 | 1,300 |
| Arkansas | $85,020 | 1,870 |
| Georgia | $84,240 | 9,400 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates, May 2025, all industries.
What affects this salary
Pay drivers for Civil Engineers
Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems including roads, buildings, airports, bridges, water supply, and sewage systems. The role requires a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, often Professional Engineer (PE) licensure for senior project responsibility. Pay varies by sector: private consulting (Bechtel, Jacobs) and oil/gas civil engineering often exceed the OEWS median; municipal and state DOT roles typically fall near it.
The 10th-to-90th percentile spread is $68,240 – $163,220. That gap reflects experience, certification, employer type, geographic cost of living, and shift differentials where applicable.
Geography matters. The best-paying states for this role are California, Alaska and Washington. Pay in California runs 1.5 times the level in Georgia, before any adjustment for cost of living.
Getting in. BLS lists the typical entry-level education as bachelor's degree, and projects about 22,700 openings a year over 2025-35. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over the same period, against 3.5% for all occupations.
Frequently asked
Questions readers ask
Frequently asked
What is the average Civil Engineer salary in the US?
How much does a Civil Engineer make an hour?
How much do Civil Engineers make at the low and high end?
Which state pays Civil Engineers the most?
Is the average Civil Engineer salary higher than the median?
Is Civil Engineer a growing career?
Open positions
Open Civil Engineer roles hiring now
Browse current Civil Engineer listings on Indeed and ZipRecruiter, filtered to your role.
Source & methodology
Wage and employment figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025 release. Standard Occupational Classification: 17-2051. Figures represent the national median, mean, and percentile distribution across all employers and industries. Hourly equivalents assume a 2,080-hour work year. Job growth, annual openings and typical education are from the BLS Employment Projections program, 2025-35; see the Occupational Outlook Handbook entry. Read our methodology for details on how the data is sourced, transformed, and refreshed.