Civil Engineers
Civil Engineers earn an average annual salary of $125,367, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 11.5% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Civil Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
54,640 Workforce in 2023
The Civil Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Civil Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$125,367 Average Wage
In 2023, Civil Engineers earned an average of $125,367.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Civil Engineers.
Salary distribution for Civil Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
2.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
239,948 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 11.5%
267,492 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 24.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 2.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Civil Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Civil Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Civil Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Civil Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Civil Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Civil Engineers.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 51,100 employees, $126,088 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Civil Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 10,230 employees, $122,753 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 6,390 employees, $119,851 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 6,160 employees, $115,679 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 5,750 employees, $137,933 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 5,190 employees, $132,270 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 3,920 employees, $140,182 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 3,620 employees, $120,385 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 3,180 employees, $141,781 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 1,240 employees, $116,872 avg wage
- Bakersfield-Delano MSA: 760 employees, $110,874 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Civil Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Civil Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Civil Engineers in 2023 was 54,640 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Civil Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Civil Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Civil Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Civil Engineers in 2023 were Civil Engineering, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Civil Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Civil Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Civil Engineers.
Skills
Civil Engineers need many skills, but most especially Active Listening, Mathematics, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Speaking.
Required skills for Civil Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Civil Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Civil Engineers include Design, Engineering and Technology, Building and Construction, Mathematics, English Language.
Knowledge areas required for Civil Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Civil Engineers include Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Civil Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Civil Engineers.
Daily Activities
Civil Engineers spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Civil Engineers.
About
Civil Engineers
The average yearly wage for Civil Engineers was $125,367 in 2023.
SOC Code
17-2051 - Civil Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Civil Engineers reports an average salary of $125,367, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 54,640 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 2.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.