collageIt seems like civil engineers are becoming more and more common across America. But working conditions and demand for civil engineers aren’t the same everywhere in the U.S. In fact, our research shows that Alaska is the best state for civil engineers in America. The best city in America for civil engineers with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.The median salary for civil engineers in Alaska is $83,860. Compare that to the median salary in Arkansas of $54,331, which ranked worst for civil engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.The bottom 10% level pay for civil engineers is $55,000. The median pay hovers around $70,785.
Civil engineers play a major role in our society, designing, building and supervising infrastructure projects and systems, such as highways, dams, airports and similar structures. Employment numbers have been increasing and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of civil engineers is projected to about as fast as the average for all jobs, with approximately 20,500 civil engineer jobs being added from 2018 to 2028, an increase of 6%.
Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we’ve analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average civil engineer salary by state in the U.S. Read on for a full breakdown of where civil engineers make the most money, and where they’re making the least.
Table 1. Highest-paying States for Civil Engineers (2020 Survey)
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i | # of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $111,870 | $67,000 | 45,900 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $96,550 | $61,680 | 7,050 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $95,380 | $54,930 | 2,020 |
| 4 | Alaska | $94,930 | $64,160 | 1,580 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $93,890 | $58,720 | 2,590 |
| 6 | New York | $93,820 | $60,780 | 14,670 |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $92,340 | $65,920 | 1,380 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $91,310 | $58,820 | 5,350 |
| 9 | Virginia | $91,180 | $59,540 | 10,910 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $91,100 | $60,430 | 7,350 |
| 11 | Oregon | $90,560 | $59,650 | 4,330 |
| 12 | Colorado | $90,530 | $58,290 | 11,190 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $90,180 | $64,210 | 3,760 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $89,830 | $56,660 | 1,500 |
| 15 | Washington | $89,140 | $62,510 | 11,150 |
| 16 | Delaware | $88,760 | $59,370 | 850 |
| 17 | Illinois | $87,990 | $56,450 | 10,500 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $87,910 | $56,860 | 11,050 |
| 19 | Maine | $87,480 | $57,760 | 940 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $86,100 | $57,170 | 900 |
| 21 | Alabama | $85,960 | $52,550 | 4,600 |
| 22 | Nevada | $85,850 | $55,960 | 2,840 |
| 23 | Iowa | $85,330 | $54,420 | 2,100 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $85,090 | $56,000 | 1,950 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $84,830 | $58,000 | 2,230 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $84,660 | $54,950 | 1,640 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $84,480 | $58,130 | 1,220 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $84,400 | $54,830 | 3,090 |
| 29 | Florida | $83,870 | $50,440 | 16,250 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $83,850 | $54,610 | 2,890 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $83,540 | $57,120 | 10,960 |
| 32 | New Hampshire | $83,280 | $56,760 | 1,350 |
| 33 | Texas | $83,140 | $52,110 | 28,990 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $82,760 | $50,220 | 1,360 |
| 35 | Missouri | $81,660 | $54,730 | 5,270 |
| 36 | Maryland | $81,210 | $56,750 | 6,600 |
| 37 | Ohio | $80,300 | $53,520 | 6,990 |
| 38 | Indiana | $80,210 | $55,270 | 3,790 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | $79,400 | $55,540 | 5,780 |
| 40 | Arizona | $79,290 | $53,640 | 5,270 |
| 41 | Idaho | $79,100 | $52,330 | 2,010 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $78,800 | $55,050 | 900 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $78,790 | $48,410 | 5,300 |
| 44 | Michigan | $77,730 | $54,760 | 5,740 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $77,230 | $55,270 | 1,190 |
| 46 | Montana | $76,520 | $52,410 | 1,400 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $76,490 | $52,810 | 1,400 |
| 48 | Utah | $76,160 | $52,070 | 3,200 |
| 49 | Vermont | $75,920 | $56,030 | 760 |
| 50 | Georgia | $74,710 | $52,240 | 6,700 |
| 51 | Kansas | $74,590 | $46,780 | 2,130 |
| 52 | Virgin Islands | $73,020 | $54,480 | 80 |
| 53 | Guam | $72,280 | $45,870 | 260 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $55,920 | $33,150 | 1,900 |
10 States Where Civil Engineers Earn the Least Money
The bottom-10 states where civil engineers make the least money are a geographically mixed, though several of the two worst-paying states can be found in the U.S. West region, as designated by the Census Bureau. In the worst-paying state for civil engineers, Utah, the average salary is nearly 38% less than the U.S. average salary. Here’s a look at the 10 worst states for civil engineer’s salaries:
- Vermont average civil engineer salary: $74,960
- South Dakota average civil engineer salary: $77,030
- Montana average civil engineer salary: $77,480
- Idaho average civil engineer salary: $78,280
- Wisconsin average civil engineer salary: $78,660
- Utah average civil engineer salary: $80,690
- Georgia average civil engineer salary: $81,110
- Arkansas average civil engineer salary: $81,780
- Maine average civil engineer salary: $82,160
- Ohio average civil engineer salary: $82,180
The Top 10 highest-paying jobs in civil engineering
1. Comcast: 600
2. Northrop Grumman: 401
3. Lockheed Martin: 397
4. Leidos Holdings: 331
5. Boeing: 320
6. The Aerospace Corporation: 257
7. ManTech International: 221
8. Stantec: 216
9. Wood: 181
10. CBRE: 172
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