Sort by any column. Employment is the number of civil engineers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Civil Engineer Salary by State (2026)
Civil Engineers earn the most in California at $122,500 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $61,060 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $100,840. All 53 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $122,500
- National median
- $100,840
- Lowest median
- $61,060
- States reporting
- 53
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Civil Engineers
- 1. California$122,500 median · $110,639 adjusted · 55,180 employed
- 2. Alaska$114,730 median · $112,086 adjusted · 1,670 employed
- 3. Washington$110,000 median · $102,791 adjusted · 12,590 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$106,730 median · $100,920 adjusted · 9,450 employed
- 5. Louisiana$105,380 median · $119,469 adjusted · 3,780 employed
Lowest-paying states for Civil Engineers
- 53. Puerto Rico$61,060 median · no price parity · 1,750 employed
- 52. Guam$67,410 median · no price parity · 640 employed
- 51. Georgia$84,240 median · $87,483 adjusted · 9,400 employed
- 50. Arkansas$85,020 median · $97,795 adjusted · 1,870 employed
- 49. West Virginia$86,930 median · $97,132 adjusted · 1,300 employed
Civil Engineer salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $122,500 | $96,590 | $149,350 | 55,180 | $110,639 |
| 2 | Alaska | $114,730 | $94,960 | $134,280 | 1,670 | $112,086 |
| 3 | Washington | $110,000 | $96,230 | $133,050 | 12,590 | $102,791 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $106,730 | $84,570 | $134,810 | 9,450 | $100,920 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $105,380 | $78,770 | $127,940 | 3,780 | $119,469 |
| 6 | Oregon | $105,250 | $82,580 | $135,870 | 4,890 | $101,828 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $104,660 | $82,270 | $134,270 | 6,900 | $96,190 |
| 8 | Nevada | $104,310 | $83,530 | $148,150 | 3,560 | $104,332 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $103,900 | $79,570 | $129,310 | 1,350 | $112,675 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $103,880 | $82,120 | $130,720 | 1,650 | $94,521 |
| 11 | New York | $103,760 | $84,740 | $135,920 | 17,500 | $96,144 |
| 12 | Connecticut | $103,150 | $83,390 | $130,150 | 4,370 | $99,556 |
| 13 | Nebraska | $103,150 | $80,410 | $125,930 | 2,360 | $114,480 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $101,600 | $80,360 | $131,550 | 7,180 | $108,374 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $101,480 | $80,500 | $129,670 | 4,710 | $102,899 |
| 16 | Colorado | $101,420 | $82,830 | $132,200 | 13,290 | $98,416 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $100,930 | $78,960 | $122,930 | 2,690 | $111,947 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $100,730 | $79,140 | $125,730 | 12,810 | $106,789 |
| 19 | Maryland | $100,680 | $81,640 | $126,620 | 5,240 | $95,923 |
| 20 | Delaware | $100,220 | $81,470 | $126,810 | 920 | $100,413 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $100,170 | $75,730 | $124,240 | 1,770 | $115,200 |
| 22 | Illinois | $99,760 | $79,650 | $125,990 | 13,910 | $99,802 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $99,300 | $79,040 | $150,160 | 1,270 | $97,086 |
| 24 | Alabama | $99,010 | $77,750 | $128,900 | 5,370 | $111,469 |
| 25 | Oklahoma | $98,760 | $79,170 | $127,590 | 2,180 | $112,428 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $98,710 | $76,960 | $118,980 | 1,620 | $94,763 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $98,700 | $80,560 | $115,180 | 1,440 | $111,417 |
| 28 | Florida | $98,570 | $76,740 | $128,450 | 23,750 | $95,316 |
| 29 | Indiana | $98,270 | $77,510 | $121,550 | 4,030 | $105,294 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $98,190 | $76,950 | $117,060 | 1,380 | $110,377 |
| 31 | Idaho | $98,030 | $78,990 | $113,160 | 2,630 | $102,656 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $97,850 | $77,920 | $122,320 | 15,870 | $100,285 |
| 33 | Maine | $97,820 | $80,410 | $113,330 | 1,240 | $100,793 |
| 34 | Virginia | $97,120 | $79,150 | $126,780 | 11,350 | $96,060 |
| 35 | Kansas | $96,880 | $77,170 | $125,990 | 2,880 | $107,563 |
| 36 | Texas | $96,860 | $77,200 | $127,340 | 34,870 | $99,797 |
| 37 | Utah | $96,830 | $78,510 | $123,240 | 5,670 | $97,943 |
| 38 | Iowa | $96,430 | $76,760 | $120,230 | 2,500 | $109,877 |
| 39 | Ohio | $96,220 | $77,820 | $124,930 | 10,560 | $103,714 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $95,910 | $76,900 | $123,160 | 5,790 | $104,398 |
| 41 | Vermont | $95,600 | $78,870 | $104,770 | 770 | $97,593 |
| 42 | Wisconsin | $94,600 | $75,920 | $111,400 | 7,410 | $100,537 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $94,280 | $77,720 | $113,550 | 2,640 | $85,747 |
| 44 | Montana | $93,070 | $76,770 | $105,980 | 1,870 | $98,336 |
| 45 | Missouri | $92,750 | $77,410 | $114,990 | 5,760 | $102,128 |
| 46 | Michigan | $92,100 | $75,470 | $109,870 | 7,760 | $95,721 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $90,590 | $77,610 | $106,220 | 990 | $97,733 |
| 48 | Arizona | $89,660 | $76,340 | $109,930 | 5,940 | $89,057 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $86,930 | $62,070 | $112,400 | 1,300 | $97,132 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $85,020 | $64,500 | $105,090 | 1,870 | $97,795 |
| 51 | Georgia | $84,240 | $75,090 | $114,380 | 9,400 | $87,483 |
| 52 | Guam | $67,410 | $56,500 | $79,510 | 640 | N/A |
| 53 | Puerto Rico | $61,060 | $47,470 | $76,950 | 1,750 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Civil Engineers, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $122,500, while Louisiana leads once prices are taken into account at $119,469.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Civil Engineer pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Civil Engineers the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Civil Engineers at $122,500 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($114,730) and Washington ($110,000).
Which state pays Civil Engineers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Civil Engineers at $61,060 a year, $61,440 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Civil Engineers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Louisiana first at $119,469 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $105,380. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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