2027 Salary Guide · Engineering
BLS reports structural engineers within Civil Engineers, an occupation with a median of $100,840 in May 2025 and about $107,000 in 2027 terms. Structural titles usually land in the upper half of that range, from the median to the 90th percentile of $163,220. Licensure is one reason: BLS says civil engineers who provide services directly to the public typically must be licensed, and structural design for buildings and bridges is that kind of work.
Licensure
BLS does not report pay by license status, but licensure decides who can sign structural drawings. These are the steps BLS describes for civil engineers.
A bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related branch is the typical starting point. Some structural engineers add a graduate degree, which BLS says can help with advancement alongside a license and experience.
Usually taken near graduation. Passing it is the first formal step toward licensure.
Work under a licensed engineer counts toward the experience states require before the PE exam.
BLS says civil engineers typically must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. Each state issues its own license, and most states honor licenses from other states. Some states set additional structural licensing rules; check your state board.
Pay distribution
This is the BLS Civil Engineers distribution, an approximation for structural engineers because BLS does not publish the specialty separately. The shaded band, the median to the 90th percentile, is where most structural engineer titles fall.
Typical for the Structural Engineer title: $100,840 to $163,220 (50th to 90th 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 |
BLS does not publish structural engineer pay separately. This guide benchmarks the title to Civil Engineers and places it in the upper half.
Career path
BLS does not publish pay by experience or license status. This ladder places common structural career stages on the Civil Engineers percentiles as a planning guide.
About $80,000 to $101,000 (25th percentile to median)
Analysis, calculations and drawings under a licensed engineer, after passing the FE exam.
About $101,000 to $130,000 (median to 75th percentile)
Designs and checks structures, seals drawings and manages smaller projects.
About $130,000 to $163,000+ (75th to 90th percentile)
Takes responsibility for major projects and teams.
Local pay
The San Francisco Bay Area has the highest Civil Engineers median in this guide, $130,160, and one of the largest workforces, about 10,990. Seattle follows at $116,480. Raleigh and Denver have well above their share of national civil engineering jobs, at medians near the national figure.
| 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.
By employer
BLS median pay for Civil Engineers in the five sectors that employ the most of them. Structural engineers work in all five.
| Employer | Median pay, May 2025 | Share of the occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering services (consulting firms) | $100,620 | 51% |
| Nonresidential building construction | $82,400 | 7% |
| State government | $102,440 | 11% |
| Local government | $113,640 | 10% |
| Federal government | $117,790 | 3% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Civil Engineers. Government figures exclude education and hospitals.
Outlook
BLS projects faster than average growth for Civil Engineers through 2035 and about 22,700 openings a year. BLS does not separate structural openings, but bridges, buildings and other infrastructure are a core part of civil engineering demand.
BLS Employment Projections via O*NET OnLine. Projections cover Civil Engineers as a whole.
Compare
Construction managers have a higher median than civil engineers. CAD designers, who often draft structural drawings, earn well less.
| Role | BLS median | 2027 estimate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineer | $100,840 | $107,000 | Faster than average |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 | $122,000 | Much faster than average |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 | $114,000 | Faster than average |
| CAD Designer | $71,550 | $76,000 | Decline |
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 | $143,500 | Much faster than average |
FAQ
BLS reports structural engineers within Civil Engineers, whose median was $100,840 in May 2025. Structural titles usually fall between that median and the 90th percentile of $163,220. For 2027, the planning median for the occupation is about $107,000. These are approximations; BLS does not publish the specialty on its own.
Entry-level structural pay is not published by BLS. For Civil Engineers, the 25th percentile was $79,930 and the median $100,840 in May 2025; most engineers in training land between those figures, and some start nearer the 10th percentile of $68,240. Offers in the Bay Area and Seattle run higher.
BLS says civil engineers, including structural engineers, typically must be licensed if they provide services directly to the public. Licensure requires the FE exam, several years of experience and the PE exam. Some states have extra rules for structural work, so check the state engineering board.
At the median, government pays more. BLS reports Civil Engineers medians of $117,790 in the federal government and $113,640 in local government in May 2025, against $100,620 in engineering services firms, which employ about half the occupation.
The Bay Area comes first, with a May 2025 Civil Engineers median of $130,160 among the 29 metros in this guide. Seattle ($116,480), San Diego ($108,900) and Los Angeles ($108,640) followed.
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