What the numbers say
California's median wage for Civil Engineers was $118,450 in 2024, about 23% above the national median of $96,198. That is one of the larger state-level premiums we see for this occupation.
The spread between bottom and top earners is wide. Engineers at the 10th percentile earned $77,620 while those at the 90th percentile earned $171,760, meaning top earners made roughly 2.2 times what the lowest-paid peers did. That gap usually reflects differences in job titles, how senior someone is, and whether they work on small municipal contracts or large infrastructure programs.
California's cost of living is high. The state's price index sits at 114.8, about 15% above the national baseline. After accounting for what the money actually buys, the real wage advantage narrows from 23% to closer to 7%. That is still a premium, but a smaller one than the headline figure suggests.
BLS projects employment for Civil Engineers to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, which falls into the faster-than-average category. California's scale matters here: the state already employs 54,640 Civil Engineers, one of the largest concentrations in the country, so even modest percentage growth translates to a meaningful number of additional positions.
Salary distribution
Where California civil engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $94,450 and $145,730, with a median of $118,450.
Civil Engineers in California: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 866 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $106,028. Every figure below is an actual offered salary an employer attested to under federal law.
By DOL wage level
DOL classifies every offer into one of four wage levels based on the role's experience and skill requirements.
| Level | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|
| Level I — entry | 262 | $86,529 |
| Level II — qualified | 228 | $108,930 |
| Level III — experienced | 100 | $129,834 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 66 | $150,384 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Civil Engineers in California. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Department of Transportation | Transportation Engineer (Civil) | 97 | $103,644 |
| HDR Engineering, Inc. | Water/Wastewater Engineer in Training (EIT) | 17 | $125,798 |
| WSP USA Inc. | Civil Engineer | 13 | $108,255 |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | Civil Engineering III | 12 | $127,796 |
| Stantec Consulting Services Inc. | Associate, Geotechnical Engineer | 11 | $104,478 |
| Jacobs Project Management Company | Project Engineer | 11 | $112,016 |
| Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. | Project Consultant | 11 | $95,633 |
| Moffatt & Nichol | Civil Engineer III | 11 | $91,354 |
| T.Y. Lin International | Bridge Designer | 11 | $88,213 |
| Mott MacDonald Group Inc. | Principal Project Manager - Dams | 10 | $113,099 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Transportation Engineer (Civil) at California Department of Transportation$89,136OaklandDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502288
- Project Manager 2 at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory$150,684BerkeleyDecided Dec 30, 2025I-200-25356-502633
- PROJECT ENGINEER at DALKE & SONS CONSTRUCTION INC$92,200RIVERSIDEDecided Dec 29, 2025I-200-25354-499762
- Senior Engineer at Degenkolb Engineers$134,763OaklandDecided Dec 23, 2025I-200-25350-485888
- Project Engineer I, Traffic at Sandis Civil Engineers, Surveyors, Planners$93,000OaklandDecided Dec 22, 2025I-200-25349-483553
- Project Engineer at Ninyo & Moore Geotechnical & Enviromental Sciences Consultants$125,000San JoseDecided Dec 22, 2025I-200-25349-483710
- Senior Project Engineer at Webcor Construction, LP$92,934San FranciscoDecided Dec 22, 2025I-200-25349-483924
- Lead Civil Engineer at Five Fits Ventures LLC$150,000DublinDecided Dec 19, 2025I-200-25346-478803
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Disclosed wages reflect what employers attested to pay; actual paid wages may differ. Only certified filings are shown — denied and withdrawn cases are excluded.
Civil Engineers pay by experience level in California
Each band reflects DOL Wage Levels I-IV mapped onto a four-step ladder. Click a level to see the disclosed-wage range for that segment.
Civil Engineers specialties in California
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 545 certified offers. The most common variant is Project Engineer at a median of $104,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Engineer | DPR Construction, A General Partnership | 177 | $104,000 |
| Transportation Engineer (Civil) | California Department of Transportation | 105 | $103,644 |
| Senior Engineer | Saiful Bouquet Consulting Structural Engineers, Inc. | 67 | $92,400 |
| Civil Engineer | Moffatt & Nichol | 62 | $109,500 |
| Project Manager | CLARK CONSTRUCTION GROUP-CA, LP | 50 | $125,066 |
| Structural Engineer | Wright Engineers | 21 | $112,000 |
| Design Engineer | Degenkolb Engineers | 16 | $87,371 |
| Field Engineer (Civil) | Flatiron Construction Corp. | 11 | $100,526 |
| Structural Designer | Tipping Structural Engineers | 10 | $87,764 |
| Senior Consultant, Civil Engineer | WSP USA BUILDINGS INC. | 9 | $108,632 |
| Senior Designer | Gannett Fleming, Inc. | 9 | $97,760 |
| Project Consultant | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. | 8 | $91,373 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Civil Engineers in California, by industry
Median offered wage across 566 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $104,739.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | HDR Engineering, Inc. | 498 | $104,739 |
| Technology and software | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 20 | $147,742 |
| Manufacturing | Tesla, Inc. | 16 | $129,875 |
| Education | University of California, Davis | 7 | $78,000 |
| Finance and insurance | Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Company | 6 | $140,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Department of Water Resources | 6 | $82,192 |
| Real estate | Build Block, Inc. | 6 | $103,082 |
| Transportation and logistics | Transdev Services, Inc. | 4 | $120,818 |
| Government and public sector | State Water Resources Control Board | 2 | $119,727 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON DATA SERVICES, INC. | 1 | $188,210 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in California over the past 2 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2024 dollars.
Typical entry
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Top skills (O*NET)
- 4.7 / 5
Design
Knowledge
- 4.7 / 5
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
Building and Construction
Knowledge
- 4.5 / 5
Mathematics
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Oral Comprehension
Ability
- 4.0 / 5
English Language
Knowledge
- 4.0 / 5
Active Listening
Basic skill
- 4.0 / 5
Written Comprehension
Ability
Common tasks (O*NET)
- 01
Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- 02
Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- 03
Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- 04
Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- 05
Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- 06
Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- 07
Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
- 08
Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
10-year outlook
Growth 2024 → 2034
+5.0%
Projected annual openings
—
BLS outlook
Growing faster than average
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034 cycle.
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Explore coursesTop metros in California
Metro-level salary data for civil engineers in major California metropolitan areas.
- Sacramento$130,310
- San Jose$129,260
- San Francisco$126,560
- Riverside$109,250
- San Diego$106,350
- Los Angeles$105,290
Compare Civil Engineers pay across nearby states
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Civil Engineers in California?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Civil Engineers in California is $118,450.
- How does California compare to the national median for Civil Engineers?
- The California median is +23.1% versus the BLS national figure of $96,198.
- What is the salary range for Civil Engineers in California?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $77,620 and the 90th-percentile at $171,760, which captures most full-time workers in the role.
- Is Civil Engineers a growing field?
- BLS Employment Projections show employment growing by 5.0% over the projection cycle. See the 10-year outlook section above for details.
- What education is required for Civil Engineers?
- BLS lists the typical entry-level education as Bachelor's degree. Many employers also weigh prior experience and credentials.
Information on this page is for general educational purposes only. It is not career, financial, or tax advice. Wage data reflects BLS estimates for the reference year shown and may not match individual offers, employer-specific ranges, or current market conditions. Confirm with a licensed professional before making career or compensation decisions.