SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Includes architectural, structural, traffic, and geotechnical engineers. Excludes “Hydrologists” (19-2043).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 17-2051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $68,240 | $5,687 | $1,312 | $32.81 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $79,930 | $6,661 | $1,537 | $38.43 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $100,840 | $8,403 | $1,939 | $48.48 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $129,680 | $10,807 | $2,494 | $62.34 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $163,220 | $13,602 | $3,139 | $78.47 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Civil Engineers is $100,840, which is 98% higher. Among the 36 occupations of the field Architecture and Engineering, it ranks number 17 by median pay. With 367,840 jobs, it makes up about 24 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Civil Engineers pay by state
The highest median pay was in California ($122,500), Alaska ($114,730) and Washington ($110,000). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($61,060), Guam ($67,410) and Georgia ($84,240). The most jobs were in California (55,180), Texas (34,870) and Florida (23,750). The occupation is most concentrated in Guam, where its share of all jobs is 4.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 55,180 | $122,500 | $124,540 | $58.89 |
| Alaska | 1,670 | $114,730 | $118,830 | $55.16 |
| Washington | 12,590 | $110,000 | $117,670 | $52.89 |
| Massachusetts | 9,450 | $106,730 | $117,330 | $51.31 |
| Louisiana | 3,780 | $105,380 | $108,250 | $50.66 |
| Oregon | 4,890 | $105,250 | $116,160 | $50.60 |
| New Jersey | 6,900 | $104,660 | $114,750 | $50.32 |
| Nevada | 3,560 | $104,310 | $114,970 | $50.15 |
| New Mexico | 1,350 | $103,900 | $111,300 | $49.95 |
| District of Columbia | 1,650 | $103,880 | $115,810 | $49.94 |
| New York | 17,500 | $103,760 | $117,880 | $49.89 |
| Connecticut | 4,370 | $103,150 | $110,920 | $49.59 |
| Nebraska | 2,360 | $103,150 | $106,860 | $49.59 |
| South Carolina | 7,180 | $101,600 | $107,000 | $48.85 |
| Minnesota | 4,710 | $101,480 | $107,500 | $48.79 |
| Colorado | 13,290 | $101,420 | $114,460 | $48.76 |
| Kentucky | 2,690 | $100,930 | $105,310 | $48.53 |
| North Carolina | 12,810 | $100,730 | $104,760 | $48.43 |
| Maryland | 5,240 | $100,680 | $107,320 | $48.41 |
| Delaware | 920 | $100,220 | $107,650 | $48.19 |
| Mississippi | 1,770 | $100,170 | $104,840 | $48.16 |
| Illinois | 13,910 | $99,760 | $105,390 | $47.96 |
| Rhode Island | 1,270 | $99,300 | $110,560 | $47.74 |
| Alabama | 5,370 | $99,010 | $107,550 | $47.60 |
| Oklahoma | 2,180 | $98,760 | $105,570 | $47.48 |
| New Hampshire | 1,620 | $98,710 | $99,620 | $47.46 |
| South Dakota | 1,440 | $98,700 | $99,500 | $47.45 |
| Florida | 23,750 | $98,570 | $103,810 | $47.39 |
| Indiana | 4,030 | $98,270 | $100,010 | $47.25 |
| North Dakota | 1,380 | $98,190 | $98,780 | $47.21 |
| Idaho | 2,630 | $98,030 | $101,160 | $47.13 |
| Pennsylvania | 15,870 | $97,850 | $100,750 | $47.04 |
| Maine | 1,240 | $97,820 | $99,310 | $47.03 |
| Virginia | 11,350 | $97,120 | $105,340 | $46.69 |
| Kansas | 2,880 | $96,880 | $100,810 | $46.58 |
| Texas | 34,870 | $96,860 | $104,250 | $46.57 |
| Utah | 5,670 | $96,830 | $100,300 | $46.56 |
| Iowa | 2,500 | $96,430 | $99,950 | $46.36 |
| Ohio | 10,560 | $96,220 | $100,810 | $46.26 |
| Tennessee | 5,790 | $95,910 | $103,340 | $46.11 |
| Vermont | 770 | $95,600 | $97,480 | $45.96 |
| Wisconsin | 7,410 | $94,600 | $97,330 | $45.48 |
| Hawaii | 2,640 | $94,280 | $96,270 | $45.33 |
| Montana | 1,870 | $93,070 | $92,650 | $44.75 |
| Missouri | 5,760 | $92,750 | $98,970 | $44.59 |
| Michigan | 7,760 | $92,100 | $94,870 | $44.28 |
| Wyoming | 990 | $90,590 | $96,810 | $43.55 |
| Arizona | 5,940 | $89,660 | $97,130 | $43.10 |
| West Virginia | 1,300 | $86,930 | $91,220 | $41.79 |
| Arkansas | 1,870 | $85,020 | $89,500 | $40.88 |
| Georgia | 9,400 | $84,240 | $98,300 | $40.50 |
| Guam | 640 | $67,410 | $73,110 | $32.41 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,750 | $61,060 | $66,210 | $29.35 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers$106,220 a year
- Mechanical Engineers$104,110 a year
- Industrial Engineers$102,440 a year
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval$99,280 a year
- Agricultural Engineers$98,590 a year
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 a year
Common questions
How much do Civil Engineers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $100,840 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $68,240 and the highest-paid 10% more than $163,220.
How many people work as Civil Engineers?
About 367,840 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.