2027 Salary Guide · Civil engineering
How much do civil engineers make? BLS put the median at $100,840 in May 2025, which projects to about $107,000 for 2027. Unlike most engineering fields, the public sector pays more than private firms here: local government civil engineers earned a $113,640 median and federal ones $117,790, against $100,620 at the engineering services firms that employ about half the occupation.
Outlook
With about 380,600 jobs, civil engineering is one of the largest engineering occupations, and BLS projects faster than average growth (5% to 6%) through 2035. That works out to about 22,700 openings a year, spread across public agencies, consulting firms and contractors in every state.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Civil Engineers as a whole.
By employer
BLS reports the share of civil engineers in each type of employer and the median pay there. Government employers pay more at the median than the firms that employ the most civil engineers.
| Employer type | Share of civil engineers | Median pay, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Federal government | 3% | $117,790 |
| Local government | 10% | $113,640 |
| State government | 11% | $102,440 |
| Engineering services | 51% | $100,620 |
| Nonresidential building construction | 7% | $82,400 |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Civil Engineers (May 2025 wages). Government figures exclude education and hospitals. Industries not listed by BLS are not shown.
Pay distribution
The 10th percentile was $68,240 and the 90th was $163,220. The jump from the 75th percentile ($129,680) to the 90th is about $33,540, the stretch where licensed engineers who manage programs or run a practice tend to sit.
Typical for the Civil Engineer title: $79,930 to $129,680 (25th to 75th percentile of Civil Engineers)
| Percentile | BLS, May 2025 | 2027 planning estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $68,240 | $72,500 |
| 25th percentile | $79,930 | $85,000 |
| Median | $100,840 | $107,000 |
| 75th percentile | $129,680 | $138,000 |
| 90th percentile | $163,220 | $173,500 |
Licensure and pay
BLS does not publish pay by license status. These stages map the usual licensure path onto the BLS percentiles as a planning guide. Each state issues its own license.
About $68,000 to $80,000 (10th to 25th percentile)
Graduates of an accredited engineering program who have passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam. BLS says a license is not required for entry-level civil engineers, and this stage is about building supervised experience.
About $80,000 to $130,000 (25th to 75th percentile)
After several years of relevant experience and a passing score on the PE exam, an engineer can approve design plans, sign off on projects and provide services directly to the public. BLS notes that civil engineers who serve the public typically must be licensed.
About $130,000 to $163,000+ (75th to 90th percentile)
Manages programs, a design group or a public works department. BLS says graduate education, along with a PE license and experience, may help in moving into supervisory roles.
Local pay
In 24 of the 29 metros, the civil engineer median falls within about $10,000 of the national figure. The exceptions are at both ends: the Bay Area ($130,160) and Seattle ($116,480) are well above it, and Miami ($83,750), Atlanta ($88,000) and Phoenix ($90,330) below. Los Angeles (about 16,340 jobs) and New York City (about 15,590) are the largest markets.
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Bay Area | $130,160 +29% | $90,860 – $202,730 | 10,990 |
| Seattle | $116,480 +16% | $82,140 – $161,760 | 7,680 |
| San Diego | $108,900 +8% | $79,410 – $166,430 | 5,620 |
| Los Angeles | $108,640 +8% | $72,860 – $170,670 | 16,340 |
| Boston | $107,670 +7% | $79,580 – $167,360 | 7,970 |
| New York City | $107,330 +6% | $78,250 – $176,400 | 15,590 |
| Portland | $106,280 +5% | $78,860 – $166,060 | 4,180 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul | $104,740 +4% | $78,480 – $159,670 | 3,350 |
| Denver | $104,710 +4% | $78,930 – $167,090 | 9,130 |
| Hartford | $103,650 +3% | $76,030 – $163,570 | 2,420 |
| Metro area | Median | 10th – 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany | $102,470 +2% | $75,990 – $149,520 | 1,470 |
| Charlotte | $102,370 +2% | $73,790 – $164,990 | 3,730 |
| Washington, DC | $101,780 +1% | $77,970 – $159,990 | 8,470 |
| Raleigh | $101,440 +1% | $74,170 – $163,710 | 4,640 |
| Houston | $100,950 +0% | $67,250 – $168,240 | 12,140 |
| Pittsburgh | $100,680 +-0% | $68,970 – $141,310 | 4,210 |
| Tampa | $100,570 +-0% | $71,630 – $170,110 | 4,190 |
| Baltimore | $100,500 +-0% | $75,990 – $144,680 | 2,540 |
| Austin | $100,470 +-0% | $65,380 – $162,770 | 4,940 |
| Chicago | $100,160 -1% | $74,130 – $159,940 | 9,760 |
| Philadelphia | $99,410 -1% | $75,830 – $147,960 | 6,160 |
| Providence | $99,310 -2% | $75,990 – $150,800 | 1,550 |
| Nashville | $98,650 -2% | $66,440 – $160,800 | 2,090 |
| Buffalo | $97,060 -4% | $72,020 – $150,300 | 930 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | $96,920 -4% | $61,720 – $158,170 | 8,010 |
| Detroit | $92,550 -8% | $64,000 – $129,700 | 3,870 |
| Phoenix | $90,330 -10% | $63,740 – $139,240 | 4,690 |
| Atlanta | $88,000 -13% | $63,810 – $160,150 | 6,270 |
| Miami | $83,750 -17% | $54,990 – $165,880 | 6,850 |
BLS metro estimates, May 2025. Percent compares the metro median with the national median. "Jobs" is BLS estimated employment in the metro; blank where BLS does not publish it.
For hiring managers
Local government civil engineers earned a median about $13,000 higher than engineering services firms in May 2025. Candidates compare both.
Requiring an active PE narrows the pool sharply. Many firms hire EITs and support them through the PE exam.
Transportation, water and wastewater, geotechnical, structural and site development work draw different candidates. O*NET lists the first four as reported titles or related occupations.
Each state issues its own license, though most recognize licenses from states with equal or stricter requirements. If the role signs drawings in more than one state, say so.
Compare
Structural engineers are counted inside the civil engineers occupation, so BLS figures match. Environmental engineers earn about $6,270 more at the median, and construction managers about $14,150 more, which makes construction management a common move for civil engineers on the contractor side.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 | $107,000 | Faster than average |
| Structural Engineer | $100,840 | $107,000 | Faster than average |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $114,000 | Faster than average |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 | $122,000 | Much faster than average |
FAQ
BLS reports a median of $100,840 for civil engineers in May 2025, with the middle half earning $79,930 to $129,680. Adding two years of wage growth at about 3.1% a year gives a 2027 planning median of about $107,000. The top tenth earned more than $163,220.
EIT starting pay is not a BLS statistic. The 10th percentile was $68,240 in May 2025 and the 25th percentile was $79,930, a reasonable range for new graduates working as engineers in training. BLS says a license is not required at entry level.
BLS does not publish pay by license status. A PE license lets a civil engineer approve design plans, sign off on projects and serve the public directly, and those responsibilities sit in the upper half of the range, roughly the 75th percentile ($129,680) and above, according to this guide's career mapping.
The BLS hourly median for civil engineers was $48.48 in May 2025. The 10th percentile was $32.81 an hour and the 90th was $78.47. Most civil engineers are salaried, so hourly figures mostly matter for contract engineers and for how consulting firms set billing rates.
Public agencies pay more at the median. BLS shows federal government civil engineers at $117,790 and local government at $113,640 in May 2025, compared with $100,620 at engineering services firms, which employ about 51% of civil engineers. State government paid $102,440, close to the private-firm figure.
Careerscape engineering recruiters can send pre-screened EITs and licensed PEs for direct hire, contract or contract-to-hire roles.
How can we help?
We got it!
A recruiter will reach out shortly.
Application Submitted!
Thank you for applying. We'll review your application and get back to you soon.