Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Civil Engineers
Find out which cities offer the best salaries for Civil Engineers. Data based on 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates.
Highest Paying City
$133,493
San Jose, CA
National Average
$96,380
Across 50 metros
Top 10 Minimum
$101,877
To rank in top 10
| Rank | City | Median Salary | Hourly Rate | vs. Average | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA Cost of Living: 179.8 | $133,493 | $64.18/hr | +38.5% | View Details |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA Cost of Living: 169.3 | $129,730 | $62.37/hr | +34.6% | View Details |
| 3 | Seattle, WA Cost of Living: 149.6 | $119,357 | $57.38/hr | +23.8% | View Details |
| 4 | New York, NY Cost of Living: 128.7 | $118,321 | $56.89/hr | +22.8% | View Details |
| 5 | Washington, DC Cost of Living: 140.1 | $113,496 | $54.57/hr | +17.8% | View Details |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA Cost of Living: 146.3 | $109,891 | $52.83/hr | +14.0% | View Details |
| 7 | Boston, MA Cost of Living: 148.4 | $109,851 | $52.81/hr | +14.0% | View Details |
| 8 | San Diego, CA Cost of Living: 142.8 | $104,101 | $50.05/hr | +8.0% | View Details |
| 9 | Austin, TX Cost of Living: 105.3 | $103,559 | $49.79/hr | +7.4% | View Details |
| 10 | Denver, CO Cost of Living: 118.4 | $101,877 | $48.98/hr | +5.7% | View Details |
All 50 Cities Ranked
San Jose, CA
$133k
/year
San Francisco, CA
$130k
/year
Seattle, WA
$119k
/year
New York, NY
$118k
/year
Washington, DC
$113k
/year
Los Angeles, CA
$110k
/year
Boston, MA
$110k
/year
San Diego, CA
$104k
/year
Austin, TX
$104k
/year
Denver, CO
$102k
/year
Chicago, IL
$101k
/year
Philadelphia, PA
$101k
/year
Baltimore, MD
$101k
/year
Miami, FL
$100k
/year
Portland, OR
$100k
/year
Minneapolis, MN
$99k
/year
Sacramento, CA
$99k
/year
Riverside, CA
$97k
/year
Atlanta, GA
$96k
/year
Dallas, TX
$96k
/year
Raleigh, NC
$96k
/year
Hartford, CT
$96k
/year
Phoenix, AZ
$95k
/year
Providence, RI
$95k
/year
Houston, TX
$94k
/year
Charlotte, NC
$94k
/year
Richmond, VA
$93k
/year
Tampa, FL
$93k
/year
Cleveland, OH
$92k
/year
Salt Lake City, UT
$92k
/year
Nashville, TN
$91k
/year
St. Louis, MO
$90k
/year
Detroit, MI
$90k
/year
Milwaukee, WI
$90k
/year
Orlando, FL
$90k
/year
Columbus, OH
$89k
/year
Kansas City, MO
$88k
/year
Indianapolis, IN
$88k
/year
Las Vegas, NV
$88k
/year
Cincinnati, OH
$87k
/year
Pittsburgh, PA
$87k
/year
Tucson, AZ
$87k
/year
Jacksonville, FL
$87k
/year
New Orleans, LA
$86k
/year
San Antonio, TX
$86k
/year
Louisville, KY
$85k
/year
Oklahoma City, OK
$85k
/year
Memphis, TN
$85k
/year
El Paso, TX
$82k
/year
Birmingham, AL
$81k
/year
Frequently Asked Questions
What city pays Civil Engineers the most?
San Jose, CA pays Civil Engineers the most, with a median salary of $133,493 per year.
What is the average Civil Engineer salary across all cities?
The average Civil Engineer salary across all 50 major US metro areas is $96,380 per year.
Should I consider cost of living when comparing salaries?
Yes! Cities like San Francisco and New York pay higher salaries, but also have higher costs of living. A $80,000 salary in a city with 90 cost of living index has more purchasing power than$100,000 in a city with 150 cost of living index.