Civil Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for civil engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $108,670 ≈ $52/hr
National median salary $100,840
Total employment 367,840 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +5%
Faster than average
Annual openings 23,600 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 368,900 → 387,500 (+18,500)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$124,540
- Alaska$118,830
- New York$117,880
- Washington$117,670
- Massachusetts$117,330
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Arkansas$89,500
- West Virginia$91,220
- Montana$92,650
- Michigan$94,870
- Hawaii$96,270
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $124,540 | $122,500 | $60 | +14.6% | 55,180 |
| 2 | Alaska | $118,830 | $114,730 | $57 | +9.3% | 1,670 |
| 3 | New York | $117,880 | $103,760 | $57 | +8.5% | 17,500 |
| 4 | Washington | $117,670 | $110,000 | $57 | +8.3% | 12,590 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $117,330 | $106,730 | $56 | +8% | 9,450 |
| 6 | Oregon | $116,160 | $105,250 | $56 | +6.9% | 4,890 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $115,810 | $103,880 | $56 | +6.6% | 1,650 |
| 8 | Nevada | $114,970 | $104,310 | $55 | +5.8% | 3,560 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $114,750 | $104,660 | $55 | +5.6% | 6,900 |
| 10 | Colorado | $114,460 | $101,420 | $55 | +5.3% | 13,290 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $111,300 | $103,900 | $54 | +2.4% | 1,350 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $110,920 | $103,150 | $53 | +2.1% | 4,370 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $110,560 | $99,300 | $53 | +1.7% | 1,270 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $108,250 | $105,380 | $52 | -0.4% | 3,780 |
| 15 | Delaware | $107,650 | $100,220 | $52 | -0.9% | 920 |
| 16 | Alabama | $107,550 | $99,010 | $52 | -1% | 5,370 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $107,500 | $101,480 | $52 | -1.1% | 4,710 |
| 18 | Maryland | $107,320 | $100,680 | $52 | -1.2% | 5,240 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $107,000 | $101,600 | $51 | -1.5% | 7,180 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $106,860 | $103,150 | $51 | -1.7% | 2,360 |
| 21 | Oklahoma | $105,570 | $98,760 | $51 | -2.9% | 2,180 |
| 22 | Illinois | $105,390 | $99,760 | $51 | -3% | 13,910 |
| 23 | Virginia | $105,340 | $97,120 | $51 | -3.1% | 11,350 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $105,310 | $100,930 | $51 | -3.1% | 2,690 |
| 25 | Mississippi | $104,840 | $100,170 | $50 | -3.5% | 1,770 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $104,760 | $100,730 | $50 | -3.6% | 12,810 |
| 27 | Texas | $104,250 | $96,860 | $50 | -4.1% | 34,870 |
| 28 | Florida | $103,810 | $98,570 | $50 | -4.5% | 23,750 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $103,340 | $95,910 | $50 | -4.9% | 5,790 |
| 30 | Idaho | $101,160 | $98,030 | $49 | -6.9% | 2,630 |
| 31 | Kansas | $100,810 | $96,880 | $48 | -7.2% | 2,880 |
| 32 | Ohio | $100,810 | $96,220 | $48 | -7.2% | 10,560 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $100,750 | $97,850 | $48 | -7.3% | 15,870 |
| 34 | Utah | $100,300 | $96,830 | $48 | -7.7% | 5,670 |
| 35 | Indiana | $100,010 | $98,270 | $48 | -8% | 4,030 |
| 36 | Iowa | $99,950 | $96,430 | $48 | -8% | 2,500 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $99,620 | $98,710 | $48 | -8.3% | 1,620 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $99,500 | $98,700 | $48 | -8.4% | 1,440 |
| 39 | Maine | $99,310 | $97,820 | $48 | -8.6% | 1,240 |
| 40 | Missouri | $98,970 | $92,750 | $48 | -8.9% | 5,760 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $98,780 | $98,190 | $47 | -9.1% | 1,380 |
| 42 | Georgia | $98,300 | $84,240 | $47 | -9.5% | 9,400 |
| 43 | Vermont | $97,480 | $95,600 | $47 | -10.3% | 770 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $97,330 | $94,600 | $47 | -10.4% | 7,410 |
| 45 | Arizona | $97,130 | $89,660 | $47 | -10.6% | 5,940 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $96,810 | $90,590 | $47 | -10.9% | 990 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $96,270 | $94,280 | $46 | -11.4% | 2,640 |
| 48 | Michigan | $94,870 | $92,100 | $46 | -12.7% | 7,760 |
| 49 | Montana | $92,650 | $93,070 | $45 | -14.7% | 1,870 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $91,220 | $86,930 | $44 | -16.1% | 1,300 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $89,500 | $85,020 | $43 | -17.6% | 1,870 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 502 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $130,280 | $137,910 | 3,170 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $130,160 | $136,350 | 10,990 |
| 3 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $130,150 | $129,650 | 5,590 |
| 4 | Mankato, MN | $128,220 | $120,450 | 50 |
| 5 | Redding, CA | $126,000 | $124,340 | 380 |
| 6 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $124,010 | $129,780 | 310 |
| 7 | Napa, CA | $123,440 | $130,620 | 180 |
| 8 | Walla Walla, WA | $123,030 | $120,280 | 190 |
| 9 | Vallejo, CA | $122,510 | $122,290 | 300 |
| 10 | Salinas, CA | $122,160 | $120,250 | 250 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing civil engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $180,350 | $156,440 | 100 |
| 2 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $176,150 | $179,810 | 640 |
| 3 | Oil and Gas Extraction | $176,150 | $179,810 | 640 |
| 4 | Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $174,080 | $161,400 | — |
| 5 | Sector 21 - Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $157,120 | $159,350 | 960 |
| 6 | Other Pipeline Transportation | $156,930 | $151,850 | 40 |
| 7 | Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | $142,060 | $151,180 | 60 |
| 8 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $134,690 | $140,040 | 1,600 |
| 9 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $134,660 | $133,680 | 670 |
| 10 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $134,660 | $133,680 | 670 |
| 11 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $131,690 | $134,290 | 1,910 |
| 12 | Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $131,310 | $128,070 | 430 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do civil engineers make in the U.S.?
The median civil engineers salary in the United States is $100,840 per year (mean $108,670), and about 80% earn between $68,240 and $163,220.
How much do civil engineers make per hour?
Roughly $52 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $108,670 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays civil engineers the most?
California has the highest average pay for civil engineers at $124,540 per year (median $122,500).
What is the job outlook for civil engineers?
Employment is projected to change +5% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 23,600 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
average civil engineer salary by statecivil engineer salary by statecivil engineer salary in different statescivil engineer salary new york statecivil engineer salary state of californiacivil engineer salary united statescivil engineer salary washington statecivil engineers salaryentry level civil engineer salary by statehow much do civil engineers makehow much do civil engineers make a yearhow much do civil engineers make an hourhow much do civil engineers make in californiahow much do civil engineers make in texas