Civil Engineering Pay in the US: Engineers, Surveyors and Licensure
US wage data for civil and environmental engineers, surveyors, technicians and construction managers, plus how licensing and public-sector pay work.
Published by SalaryBases. Drafted with AI assistance and revised to remove or reword figures we could not trace to a source. Not reviewed by a licensed professional. Pay figures come only from the official datasets named beside each table and apply only to the country, year and definition stated there. Methodology
This guide covers the United States. We removed the country-by-country comparison from this page: we could not verify international civil engineering pay against a primary source, and presenting a US figure as an international one would be misleading.
What US government data shows
| Occupation (SOC) | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers (17-2051) | $68,240 | $100,840 | $163,220 |
| Environmental Engineers (17-2081) | $69,990 | $107,110 | $162,220 |
| Surveyors (17-1022) | $46,880 | $75,440 | $125,590 |
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3022) | $44,220 | $64,950 | $98,980 |
| Construction Managers (11-9021) | $69,690 | $114,990 | $189,440 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Scope: United States, national estimates, all industries, annual wages in US dollars (retrieved 9 October 2026). The median is the middle wage: half of the workers in the occupation earn more and half earn less; 10th/90th percentile mean 10% earn less/more. The survey covers wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments and excludes the self-employed, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, equity and employer benefit costs. BLS methodology.
Civil engineers have a 10th percentile of $68,240, a median of $100,840 and a 90th percentile of $163,220. Environmental engineers have a higher median ($107,110), surveyors $75,440 and civil engineering technologists and technicians $64,950. Construction managers, who often work alongside civil engineers, have a median of $114,990.
The technician row matters: engineering technologists and technicians support design and site work with different qualifications, and their median is about 36 percent below the civil engineer median. That is a different occupation, not a lower rung of the same ladder.
Licensing
Most engineers in the US work under a Professional Engineer (PE) licence, which is issued by state boards and generally requires an accredited degree, examinations and supervised experience. Requirements and the exam process are set by each state; the national exam body publishes the PE exam structure. We do not quote a pay premium for licensure because we have no verified figure for one.
In many countries, engineering titles and licences work differently, and some roles that count as engineering in one country are technician-level in another. That is one reason a nominal salary comparison across borders is unreliable.
Public sector pay is published
Transport departments, municipal authorities and other public employers often publish salary schedules by classification and step. If you are considering a public-sector role, read the schedule for the specific classification. Our government and public sector guide explains how the federal General Schedule works.
What the figures do not include
- Bonuses and project premiums: excluded or not fully captured.
- Overtime and site allowances: excluded, yet common on construction projects.
- Benefits and pensions: not included, and public-sector pensions can be a significant part of total reward.
- The self-employed: consulting engineers who run their own practices are not covered.
Comparing an offer
Compare base, allowances, pension or retirement contributions and location with the Job Offer Comparator, then check take-home pay with the Gross to Net calculator.
Key takeaways
- Civil engineers in the US: 10th percentile $68,240, median $100,840, 90th percentile $163,220.
- Environmental engineers have a higher median at $107,110; engineering technicians a lower one at $64,950.
- PE licensure is set by state boards; we quote no verified pay premium for it.
- We removed the international comparison because it could not be sourced.
Sources used in this guide
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025: methodology and tables — Every wage figure in the tables above (each row links to its own BLS occupation profile).
- NCEES: PE exam and licensure — How the US engineering licensure exam process works (state boards set the requirements).