Highest Paying States for Civil Engineers (2026): Where PEs Earn the Most
The highest paying state for civil engineers is California at $120,868 average median salary in 2026, based on BLS OEWS data across 52 states and 1685+ metro areas. Civil engineer pay varies from Puerto Rico ($61,824) to California ($120,868) — driven by IIJA infrastructure spending, CHIPS Act construction, AEC firm tier (Bechtel, AECOM, Jacobs), and PE license.
Best States for Civil Engineer Salary: 2026 Rankings
Civil engineer pay variance is driven by IIJA federal infrastructure spending, CHIPS Act semi fab construction, AEC firm tier (Bechtel, Fluor, AECOM, Jacobs, Stantec, HDR, WSP, Kiewit), CM premium (Turner, Skanska, Suffolk), structural / transportation / water specialty, PE license, COL, and state income tax. California leads at $120,868, Puerto Rico sits at $61,824.
Top-Tier States
- California ($110,000-$155,000) — SF Bay Area / LA / San Diego mega-projects + tech HQ infrastructure.
- Alaska ($110,000-$145,000) — chronic shortage + oil/gas + no state income tax.
- New Jersey ($98,000-$135,000) — Bergen / Morris commuter + biopharma.
- Washington ($95,000-$130,000) — Seattle + no state income tax.
- Texas ($92,000-$130,000) — Houston Medical Center + Dallas + Austin tech + no state income tax + TSMC AZ mega-project.
- Massachusetts ($92,000-$128,000) — Boston academic + biotech + tech.
Mid-Tier Markets
- Hawaii ($88,000-$122,000) — shortage + HCOL.
- New York ($88,000-$130,000) — NYC infrastructure + Long Island.
- Connecticut ($85,000-$120,000) — Fairfield.
- Virginia ($85,000-$120,000) — DC + Northern VA federal contractor.
- Colorado ($82,000-$115,000) — Denver / Boulder.
- Maryland ($82,000-$115,000) — Baltimore + BWI.
- Florida ($78,000-$112,000) — Miami / Tampa + no state income tax.
Specialty Premium Markets
- Construction Manager (Turner, Skanska, Suffolk, Whiting-Turner, Mortenson) — premium + per-diem on travel.
- Data center construction (Holder, Hensel Phelps DC) — premium per-diem + overtime.
- Semi fab construction (TSMC AZ, Intel OH, Samsung TX, Micron NY) — premium mega-project.
- Structural engineering boutique (Thornton Tomasetti, Arup, LERA, SOM, MKA) — premium.
- Transportation engineering (DOT, IIJA) — premium with infrastructure wave.
- Federal civil (USACE, NAVFAC, FHWA, FAA, USBR) — pension + PSLF.
- FAANG owner-side (Meta DCs, Google DCs, Amazon FCs) — premium + stock.
- PE license + project manager track — premium.
2026 State Ranking Methodology
Rankings reflect 2026 projected median from BLS OEWS 2025. IIJA infrastructure wave + CHIPS Act semi fab construction + CM per-diem premium materially shift ceiling.
2019 BLS
$87,060
2025 BLS
$100,840
2026 Current Est.
$103,492
2019–2027 Growth
+22.0%
National Average for Context
2019–2025: BLS OEWS actual data. 2026+: CAGR 2.63% projection.
| Year | Median Annual Salary | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $87,060 | Actual |
| 2020 | $88,570 | Actual |
| 2021 | $88,050 | Actual |
| 2022 | $89,940 | Actual |
| 2023 | $95,890 | Actual |
| 2024 | $99,590 | Actual |
| 2025 | $100,840 | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $103,492 | Estimated |
| 2027 | $106,214 | Projected |
Understanding the national salary trend helps contextualize state-level differences. The national median provides a baseline for comparing how each state's civil engineer pay stacks up.
Note: BLS actual data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Estimated and projected values are calculated using a 2.63% historical CAGR. Actual compensation may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Top 10 Highest Paying States for Civil Engineers
What Drives State-Level Civil Engineer Pay Differences
Five primary factors explain civil engineer state-level pay variance.
1. Cost of Living (25-35%)
- HCOL markets command premium.
- RPP from BEA — CA 113, MS 86.
- COL-adjusted real income — Texas / Tennessee net often beat California.
2. Setting Mix: AEC / CM / Federal (20-30%)
- Large AEC (Bechtel, Fluor, AECOM, Jacobs, Stantec, HDR, WSP, Kiewit, Skanska) — premium project exposure.
- Construction Manager (Turner, Skanska, Suffolk, Whiting-Turner, Mortenson) — premium + per-diem.
- Data center / semi fab mega-project — premium per-diem.
- Structural boutique (Thornton Tomasetti, Arup, LERA, SOM, MKA) — premium specialty.
- Federal civil (USACE, NAVFAC, FHWA, FAA, USBR) — pension + PSLF.
- State DOT / Municipal city engineer — pension + PSLF.
- FAANG owner-side (Meta DCs, Google DCs, Amazon FCs) — premium + stock.
3. Specialty Mix (15-25%)
- Structural engineering (premium boutique) — SE license premium.
- Transportation (DOT, IIJA) — premium infrastructure wave.
- Water / wastewater (climate resilience) — premium.
- Geotechnical (shortage) — premium.
- Construction management — premium project bonus.
- Environmental (EPA, remediation) — premium federal.
- Coastal / marine / port — niche premium.
4. State Income Tax (5-10% take-home)
- No state income tax — AK, WA, TX, FL, TN, NV, SD, WY, NH.
- High state income tax — CA, NY, OR, NJ, MN, HI.
- NYC + Philadelphia local — additional.
- Property + sales tax — TX, NJ tradeoff.
5. PE License + Project Manager Track (10-15%)
- FE / EIT (entry credential) — required.
- PE license (year 4) — required for stamp + senior promotion.
- SE (Structural Engineering) — premium structural in select states (IL, CA, HI).
- PMP (Project Management Professional) — premium CM / PM.
- LEED AP / ENV SP — sustainability premium.
- Senior engineer / PM / principal track — premium leveling.
Where Do Civil Engineers Get Paid the Most?
Complete ranking of all 52 states by average civil engineer salary. Click any state to see city-level breakdowns and detailed data.
| Rank | State | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $120,868 |
| 2 | Washington | $117,065 |
| 3 | Alaska | $115,280 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $109,079 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $109,078 |
| 6 | Oregon | $108,705 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $108,284 |
| 8 | New York | $108,179 |
| 9 | Nevada | $107,614 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $106,693 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $106,395 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $105,235 |
| 13 | Colorado | $105,039 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $104,825 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $104,457 |
| 16 | Maryland | $103,573 |
| 17 | Alabama | $103,521 |
| 18 | Illinois | $102,404 |
| 19 | Delaware | $102,143 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $102,126 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $102,102 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $101,992 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $101,894 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $101,868 |
| 25 | Maine | $101,432 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $101,382 |
| 27 | Vermont | $100,966 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $100,779 |
| 29 | Idaho | $100,710 |
| 30 | Indiana | $100,296 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $99,818 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $99,816 |
| 33 | Ohio | $99,418 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $98,908 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $98,869 |
| 36 | Texas | $98,631 |
| 37 | Iowa | $98,620 |
| 38 | Utah | $97,613 |
| 39 | Missouri | $97,535 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $97,485 |
| 41 | Florida | $96,422 |
| 42 | Virginia | $95,709 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $95,653 |
| 44 | Michigan | $95,369 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $94,194 |
| 46 | Montana | $94,124 |
| 47 | Georgia | $92,967 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $92,735 |
| 49 | Kansas | $92,704 |
| 50 | Arizona | $91,892 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $86,759 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $61,824 |
Lowest Paying States for Civil Engineers
Even the lowest-paying states offer civil engineer salaries well above the national average for all occupations. Here are the 5 lowest-paying states:
Top Earner Potential by State
The 90th percentile represents what experienced, highly-skilled civil engineers earn in each state. These are the 10 states with the highest earning ceilings:
| # | State | Top Earner (P90) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $183,474 |
| 2 | New York | $174,172 |
| 3 | Alabama | $173,778 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $168,941 |
| 5 | Florida | $168,511 |
| 6 | Colorado | $167,658 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $166,331 |
| 8 | Oregon | $165,663 |
| 9 | Mississippi | $165,048 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $164,198 |
How to Move to a Higher-Paying State for Civil Engineer Work
Relocating for civil engineer pay requires balancing nominal salary against AEC firm tier, CM premium, federal vs private, state tax, and PE license.
1. Verify FE / EIT + PE License + State Registration
- ABET-accredited BSCE — required for licensure.
- FE Civil exam — take senior year.
- EIT certification — first stage.
- PE Civil license (year 4) — required for stamp.
- State-specific PE registration — verify per state.
- SE (Structural Engineering) license — premium IL, CA, HI.
- Master's (MS / M.Eng) in civil — premium at structural boutique.
- LEED AP / ENV SP / PMP / CCM — premium credentials.
2. Calculate Real Take-Home, Not Nominal
- COL-adjusted income — Texas civil engineer at $92,000 may exceed California civil engineer at $130,000 net.
- State + local income tax — effective rate.
- Property + sales tax — TX tradeoff.
- Childcare cost spread — major.
- Health + benefits — AEC / federal.
- 401(k) match + pension — federal + state DOT.
- Per-diem on travel jobs (CM) — major supplemental.
- Project bonus (CM-side) — premium.
3. Target Large AEC / CM / Structural Boutique
- Large AEC (Bechtel, Fluor, AECOM, Jacobs) — premium project exposure.
- CM premium (Turner, Skanska, Suffolk, Whiting-Turner, Mortenson) — premium + per-diem.
- Data center construction (Holder, Hensel Phelps DC) — premium.
- Semi fab construction (TSMC AZ, Intel OH, Samsung TX, Micron NY) — premium mega-project.
- Structural boutique (Thornton Tomasetti, Arup, LERA, SOM) — premium specialty.
- FAANG owner-side — premium + stock.
- Federal contractor (Booz Allen, SAIC, Leidos) — clearance premium + PSLF.
- Federal civil (USACE, NAVFAC, FHWA, FAA, USBR) — pension + PSLF.
4. Negotiate Sign-On + PE Path
- Sign-on bonus ($5,000-$15,000) — common at large AEC.
- Relocation assistance ($5,000-$20,000) — standard.
- FE / PE exam fee reimbursement + PE bonus — common.
- Project bonus (CM-side) — premium.
- Per-diem on travel jobs — major supplemental.
- PSLF stack (federal + 501(c)(3)) — 10-year forgiveness.
- Tuition reimbursement (MS, MEng, PMP, MBA) — premium.
- 401(k) match (4-6%) — standard at large AEC.
5. Choose Path Based on Career Plan
- Large AEC + PE + senior PM track — long-term.
- CM premium + per-diem mega-projects — premium total comp.
- Structural boutique + SE license — premium specialty.
- FAANG owner-side construction — premium + stock.
- Federal civil (USACE, NAVFAC) — pension + PSLF.
- State DOT / Municipal city engineer — pension + PSLF.
- Principal / partner / director (years 12+) — equity.
- Independent consulting / firm ownership — premier wealth.
- Construction-tech founder — emerging.
- Transportation / water / structural specialty — premium.
More Salary Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
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Written by Jordan Chen, P.E.
Career Analyst
Jordan Chen has 10 years of experience in structural engineering. He works primarily in urban infrastructure projects.
Methodology & Data Source
State salary rankings on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. A 2.63% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS wage trends, was applied to each state's average salary. Cost-of-living adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parity data. Individual pay varies by city, employer, certifications, and experience.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS , released .
Compiled and verified by Jordan Chen, P.E., a licensed civil engineer with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov