Civil Engineers in District of Columbia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
The median Civil Engineer in DC earned $102,170 in 2024, about 6% above the national median of $96,198. That is a smaller premium than the headline might suggest for a market where federal contracts dominate the workload.
The gap between the bottom and the top earners is wide. The 10th percentile came in at $76,250, the 90th at $172,780. Top earners made more than twice what entry-level peers did. That kind of spread usually shows up where experience and security clearances carry real weight in what an employer will pay.
DC's cost of living runs high. The BEA regional price index puts the overall level at 117.7, meaning goods and services cost roughly 18% more here than the national baseline. After adjusting for that, the effective purchasing power of the median DC wage sits closer to $86,800 in national-baseline dollars. On that measure, a Civil Engineer earning the DC median comes out behind the nominal national figure, not ahead of it.
BLS projects civil engineering employment to grow 5% between 2024 and 2034, which it classifies as faster than average. DC's concentration of infrastructure-linked federal agencies and long-running transit and road programs gives the local market some insulation from the swings that hit private-sector construction more directly.
Employment in the occupation stood at 1,840 in DC in 2024, a relatively small pool for a large metro. That concentration in a narrow set of government-adjacent employers is part of what shapes the wage structure here.
Salary distribution
Where District of Columbia civil engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $82,120 and $130,720, with a median of $103,880.
Civil Engineers in District of Columbia: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 48 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $87,407. 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 | 19 | $80,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 15 | $90,938 |
| Level III — experienced | 3 | $106,517 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 9 | $128,369 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Civil Engineers in District of Columbia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| HILL INTERNATIONAL INC | PROJECT ENGINEER | 4 | $85,000 |
| Pini Group USA, Inc. | Junior Geo-Technical Engineer | 4 | $112,500 |
| T.Y. Lin International | Engineer | 3 | $71,906 |
| WSP USA Inc. | Civil Engineer | 3 | $120,753 |
| Anchor Construction Corporation | Assistant Project Manager | 2 | $98,500 |
| LNDC INC | Civil Engineer | 2 | $88,587 |
| Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. | Consulting Engineer | 2 | $94,206 |
| SOIL AND LAND USE TECHNOLOGY, INC. | GEOTECHNICAL RESEARCH ENGINEER-2 | 2 | $85,730 |
| Walter P. Moore & Associates, Inc. | Graduate Engineer II - Structures | 2 | $95,250 |
| Ankura Consulting Group, LLC | Director, Construction Disputes & Advisory | 1 | $125,778 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Senior Technical Manager, Structural Engineering at WSP USA Inc.$176,800WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Mar 17, 2026I-200-26069-692802
- Design Engineer I at Steven Schaefer Associates Inc$78,285WashingtonWage Level IDecided Mar 13, 2026I-200-26065-684908
- Lead Tunnel Engineer at ARX USA Inc.$165,000WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Mar 9, 2026I-200-26061-673164
- Lead Tunnel Engineer at Pini Group USA, Inc.$165,000WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Jan 23, 2026I-200-26015-563861
- Research Associate-Energy Security & Climate Change at Center for Strategic and International Studies$90,854WashingtonWage Level IIDecided Nov 25, 2025I-200-25322-418737
- Director, Construction Disputes & Advisory at Ankura Consulting Group, LLC$125,778WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Nov 18, 2025I-200-25314-394059
- Project Manager at HILL INTERNATIONAL INC$128,369WashingtonWage Level IVDecided Nov 14, 2025I-200-25310-383269
- CIVIL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL, ENTRY LEVEL at Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.$87,641WASHINGTON, DCWage Level IDecided Nov 14, 2025I-200-25308-371259
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.
Where do you stand?
Get an instant percentile reading. Anonymous, no signup.
Aggregate unlocks once 5 readers have shared a salary for this role and state.
Civil Engineers pay by experience level in District of Columbia
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 District of Columbia
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 12 certified offers. The most common variant is PROJECT ENGINEER at a median of $85,000.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROJECT ENGINEER | HILL INTERNATIONAL INC | 6 | $85,000 |
| Civil Engineer | C. C. Johnson & Malhotra, P.C. | 3 | $87,173 |
| Assistant Project Manager | Anchor Construction Corporation | 3 | $125,000 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Civil Engineers in District of Columbia, by industry
Median offered wage across 37 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $90,854.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Pini Group USA, Inc. | 35 | $90,854 |
| Education | Howard University | 1 | $80,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Xylem Services USA LLC | 1 | $141,960 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in District of Columbia over the past 3 BLS OES releases. Real values are CPI-adjusted to 2025 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.
Sponsored
Build the skills employers list for Civil Engineers
Online courses from licensed providers. We may earn a commission when you enroll. The commission does not influence our rankings or wage data.
Explore coursesTop metros in District of Columbia
Metro-level salary data for civil engineers in major District of Columbia metropolitan areas.
- Washington, D.C.$101,780
Compare Civil Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare District of Columbia with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Civil Engineers in District of Columbia?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Civil Engineers in District of Columbia is $103,880.
- How does District of Columbia compare to the national median for Civil Engineers?
- The District of Columbia median is +1.3% versus the BLS national figure of $102,499.
- What is the salary range for Civil Engineers in District of Columbia?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $78,780 and the 90th-percentile at $164,200, 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.