Civil Engineers pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Louisiana
·Architecture and Engineering·
368k jobs
Biggest filer California Department of Transportation60 certified filings on public record
$48.48/hr median
367,840 employed
+6% to 2035
48% AI exposure
Bachelor's degree
53 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.

Where the money actually goes furthest

California pays the highest headline figure at $122,500. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $110,639 — less than Louisiana, where $105,380 is worth $119,464.

Pay by state

53 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Civil Engineers by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Louisiana$50.66/hr$105,380$119,464$102,5933,780
Mississippi$48.16/hr$100,170$115,204$95,8631,770
Nebraska$49.59/hr$103,150$114,483$98,6952,360
New Mexico$49.95/hr$103,900$112,677$99,6931,350
Oklahoma$47.48/hr$98,760$112,431$94,5592,180
Alaska$55.16/hr$114,730$112,084$114,7301,670
Kentucky$48.53/hr$100,930$111,945$97,0192,690
Alabama$47.60/hr$99,010$111,472$94,2495,370
South Dakota$47.45/hr$98,700$111,412$98,7001,440
California$58.89/hr$122,500$110,639$115,08055,180
North Dakota$47.21/hr$98,190$110,375$97,5051,380
Iowa$46.36/hr$96,430$109,879$93,3202,500
South Carolina$48.85/hr$101,600$108,373$96,8837,180
Kansas$46.58/hr$96,880$107,560$91,7622,880
North Carolina$48.43/hr$100,730$106,784$96,99012,810
Indiana$47.25/hr$98,270$105,293$95,3514,030
Tennessee$46.11/hr$95,910$104,397$95,9105,790
Nevada$50.15/hr$104,310$104,330$104,3103,560
Ohio$46.26/hr$96,220$103,718$94,29010,560
Minnesota$48.79/hr$101,480$102,900$96,0424,710
Washington$52.89/hr$110,000$102,794$110,00012,590
Idaho$47.13/hr$98,030$102,659$93,6082,630
Missouri$44.59/hr$92,750$102,125$89,2475,760
Oregon$50.60/hr$105,250$101,828$96,5814,890
Massachusetts$51.31/hr$106,730$100,917$101,3939,450
Maine$47.03/hr$97,820$100,793$92,3781,240
Wisconsin$45.48/hr$94,600$100,531$90,6837,410
Delaware$48.19/hr$100,220$100,410$94,836920
Pennsylvania$47.04/hr$97,850$100,286$94,84615,870
Illinois$47.96/hr$99,760$99,799$94,95913,910
Texas$46.57/hr$96,860$99,793$96,86034,870
Connecticut$49.59/hr$103,150$99,556$98,2114,370
Colorado$48.76/hr$101,420$98,418$97,73013,290
Montana$44.75/hr$93,070$98,330$88,6931,870
Utah$46.56/hr$96,830$97,946$92,4245,670
Arkansas$40.88/hr$85,020$97,791$81,8801,870
Wyoming$43.55/hr$90,590$97,734$90,590990
Vermont$45.96/hr$95,600$97,590$91,227770
West Virginia$41.79/hr$86,930$97,128$83,5781,300
Rhode Island$47.74/hr$99,300$97,086$95,8831,270
New Jersey$50.32/hr$104,660$96,186$100,1196,900
New York$49.89/hr$103,760$96,145$98,58217,500
Virginia$46.69/hr$97,120$96,063$92,28111,350
Maryland$48.41/hr$100,680$95,922$96,0785,240
Michigan$44.28/hr$92,100$95,718$88,4237,760
Florida$47.39/hr$98,570$95,319$98,57023,750
New Hampshire$47.46/hr$98,710$94,758$98,7101,620
District of Columbia$49.94/hr$103,880$94,522$97,8911,650
Arizona$43.10/hr$89,660$89,054$87,7835,940
Georgia$40.50/hr$84,240$87,485$80,4909,400
Hawaii$45.33/hr$94,280$85,748$88,5572,640
Guam$32.41/hr$67,410Not publishedNot published640
Puerto Rico$29.35/hr$61,060Not publishedNot published1,750

National median for comparison: $100,840. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$100,840/year

$48.48/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$47,470$150,160

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

48%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

The two methods disagree — treat any single figure for this job with caution.

Method 1 — ability mix61%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content36%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 22,700 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
  • Design or prepare plans for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as airports, commuter trains, highways, streets, bridges, drainage structures, or roadway lighting.
  • Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
  • Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
  • Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
  • Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

What named employers said they would pay

From certified US Department of Labor visa filings. These are wages employers committed to for sponsored roles — not company-wide averages, and not necessarily what everyone in the job earns. Cells with fewer than three filings are withheld so no individual’s pay is identifiable.

EmployerRole as filedState25thMedian75thFilings
California Department of TransportationTransportation Engineer (Civil)CA$100,344$100,344$120,16260
Amazon Data Services, IncData Centre Infrastructure Engineer IVA$126,200$135,000$145,53057
CORE TECH CONSTRUCTION CORPORATIONCIVIL ENGINEERGU$55,000$63,000$74,75032
Amazon Data Services, IncData Center Infrastructure Engineer IITX$136,600$150,000$155,30027
Nan IncProject Engineer - CivilHI$89,000$93,000$96,00026
Amazon Data Services, IncData Center Infrastructure Engineer IIWA$120,200$133,100$143,55523
Langan Engineering and Environmental Services, LLCGeotechnical EngineerNY$81,000$86,000$96,31519
Clayco, Inc.Senior Preconstruction EngineerAZ$87,000$90,875$98,64217
Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.HIGHWAY ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATETX$89,010$96,064$114,54917
Bechtel Energy Inc.OSBL PlannerTX$93,252$128,544$169,04417
Kiewit Engineering Group Inc.Civil Engineering Proposal LeadKS$90,111$97,978$112,22916
HDR Engineering, Inc.Bridge EngineerTX$85,082$96,428$110,26116
AG&E Associates, PLLCAssociate Project EngineerTX$92,175$99,000$106,50016
WSP USA Inc.CONSULTANT, CIVIL ENGINEERTX$88,301$99,678$113,23016
Dulles Engineering, IncStaff EngineerVA$80,753$95,469$100,40616

Where civil engineers move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Mikael Blomkvist.