The average salary for a civil engineer in California is around $122,500 per year.
Avg Salary
Civil engineers earn an average yearly salary of $122,500.
Wages typically start from $77,980 and go up to $175,940.
54% above national average Updated in 2025
Civil engineer earnings by seniority
90th percentile
Top-level civil engineer earnings begin at:
$84.59 per hour
$175,940 per year
75th percentile
Senior-level civil engineer earnings begin at:
$71.80 per hour
$149,350 per year
50th percentile
Mid-level civil engineer earnings begin at:
$58.89 per hour
$122,500 per year
25th percentile
Junior-level civil engineer earnings begin at:
$46.44 per hour
$96,590 per year
10th percentile
Starting level civil engineer earnings begin at:
$37.49 per hour
$77,980 per year
Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.
Civil engineer salary by state
| State Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Illinois | $99,760 |
| Rhode Island | $99,300 |
| Alabama | $99,010 |
| Oklahoma | $98,760 |
| New Hampshire | $98,710 |
| South Dakota | $98,700 |
| Florida | $98,570 |
| Indiana | $98,270 |
| North Dakota | $98,190 |
| Idaho | $98,030 |
| Pennsylvania | $97,850 |
| Maine | $97,820 |
| Virginia | $97,120 |
| Kansas | $96,880 |
| Texas | $96,860 |
| Utah | $96,830 |
| Iowa | $96,430 |
| Ohio | $96,220 |
| Tennessee | $95,910 |
| Vermont | $95,600 |
| Wisconsin | $94,600 |
| Hawaii | $94,280 |
| Montana | $93,070 |
| Missouri | $92,750 |
| Michigan | $92,100 |
| Wyoming | $90,590 |
| Arizona | $89,660 |
| West Virginia | $86,930 |
| Arkansas | $85,020 |
| Georgia | $84,240 |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $60,980 |
| Guam | $59,180 |
| Puerto Rico | $48,610 |
| California | $122,500 |
| Alaska | $114,730 |
| Washington | $110,000 |
| Massachusetts | $106,730 |
| Louisiana | $105,380 |
| Oregon | $105,250 |
| New Jersey | $104,660 |
| Nevada | $104,310 |
| New Mexico | $103,900 |
| District of Columbia | $103,880 |
| New York | $103,760 |
| Connecticut | $103,150 |
| Nebraska | $103,150 |
| South Carolina | $101,600 |
| Minnesota | $101,480 |
| Colorado | $101,420 |
| Kentucky | $100,930 |
| North Carolina | $100,730 |
| Maryland | $100,680 |
| Delaware | $100,220 |
| Mississippi | $100,170 |
How do civil engineer salaries compare to similar careers?
Civil engineers earn about the same as related careers in California. On average, they make less than product safety engineers but more than geodesists.
| Career | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Product safety engineer salary | $132K |
| Biomedical engineer salary | $128K |
| Water engineer salary | $130K |
| Environmental engineer salary | $130K |
| Industrial engineer salary | $125K |
| Civil engineer salary | $122K |
| Naval architect salary | $111K |
| Marine engineer salary | $111K |
| Ship engineer salary | $98K |
| Geodesist salary | $105K |
Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)