Civil Engineers in Virginia. BLS OES + DOL OFLC + reader-reported submissions. How this is built →
What the numbers say
Virginia's median wage for Civil Engineers was $96,210 in 2024, almost exactly the national median of $96,198. The two figures are less than $15 apart. For a state with one of the largest federal contracting ecosystems in the country, the near-perfect match with the national figure is the most interesting data point here.
The spread tells a more useful story. The bottom 10% of civil engineers in Virginia earned around $61,610, while the top 10% reached $145,480. Top earners make about 2.4 times what entry-level peers make. That gap is wide enough to matter when you are deciding between staying and moving, or between specializations within the field.
Virginia's cost-of-living index sits at 102.3, just 2.3% above the national baseline. That is close enough to neutral that the nominal wage is nearly the same as what that wage actually buys. A civil engineer earning the state median in Richmond or Roanoke takes home purchasing power very close to the national figure. Northern Virginia is a different story, but the state-level index blends both.
BLS projects employment for civil engineers to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, a faster rate than average across all occupations. Virginia's concentration of infrastructure-heavy federal work, water systems, and transportation corridors gives that projection some regional grounding, though BLS measures it nationally.
Salary distribution
Where Virginia civil engineers fall on the wage curve.
Shaded band = interquartile range (where most full-time workers fall)
The middle 50% of workers earn between $79,150 and $126,780, with a median of $97,120.
Civil Engineers in Virginia: actual employer-disclosed pay
Public records from 337 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. Median offered wage: $100,140. 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 | 116 | $80,000 |
| Level II — qualified | 121 | $97,850 |
| Level III — experienced | 66 | $118,704 |
| Level IV — fully competent | 27 | $126,880 |
Top employers filing for this role
Companies with the most certified filings for Civil Engineers in Virginia. Median offer is across all of that employer's filings.
| Employer | Most-filed title | Filings | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Data Services, Inc | Data Center Infrastructure Engineer II | 59 | $130,000 |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | Data Centre Infrastructure Engineer I | 11 | $140,000 |
| Dulles Engineering, Inc | Staff Engineer | 9 | $71,906 |
| Arcadis U.S., Inc. | Environmental Management Consultant 2 | 8 | $91,310 |
| WSP USA Inc. | Civil Engineer | 8 | $109,723 |
| AI ENGINEERS, INC. | Structural Engineer | 7 | $106,080 |
| DPR Construction, A General Partnership | Project Engineer (Civil/Construction) | 7 | $87,173 |
| Flatiron Dragados USA, Inc. | Field Engineer | 7 | $90,000 |
| Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP | Engineer I | 7 | $97,011 |
| HDR Engineering, Inc. | Roadway Engineer in Training (EIT) | 6 | $82,243 |
Recent sample filings
A snapshot of recent certified offers. Each line is a real, public, verifiable record.
- Data Center Infrastructure Engineer II at Amazon Data Services, Inc$116,800HerndonWage Level IIDecided Mar 31, 2026I-200-26083-724627
- Project Manager at StructureSmith, LLC$110,000ChesapeakeWage Level IIIDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-721463
- Structural Engineer III at Clark Nexsen, Inc.$87,776Virginia BeachWage Level IIDecided Mar 30, 2026I-200-26082-723247
- Design Engineer, Precast 10255473 at AG&E Associates, PLLC$94,500WinchesterWage Level IIDecided Mar 27, 2026I-200-26079-720048
- Data Center Infrastructure Engineer II at Amazon Data Services, Inc$142,300HerndonWage Level IIDecided Mar 27, 2026I-200-26079-717788
- Stormwater Design Engineer at Arcadis U.S., Inc.$85,010Virginia BeachWage Level IIDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-704126
- Postdoctoral Associate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University$68,053BlacksburgDecided Mar 23, 2026I-200-26075-706542
- Sr. Designer, Highway at GFT Infrastructure, Inc.$90,938FairfaxWage Level IIDecided Mar 20, 2026I-200-26072-701346
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.
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Civil Engineers pay by experience level in Virginia
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 Virginia
Real specialty titles employers file for, clustered from 225 certified offers. The most common variant is Data Center Infrastructure Engineer at a median of $139,777.
| Specialty | Top employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Center Infrastructure Engineer | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 48 | $139,777 |
| Project Engineer | DPR Construction, A General Partnership | 41 | $87,173 |
| Civil Engineer | Ardent Company LLC | 26 | $92,300 |
| Staff Engineer | Dulles Engineering, Inc | 26 | $75,234 |
| Data Centre Infrastructure Engineer | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 19 | $126,200 |
| Structural Engineer | AI ENGINEERS, INC. | 15 | $93,933 |
| DC Infra Eng | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 11 | $140,000 |
| Project Manager | CLARK CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC | 11 | $110,000 |
| Field Engineer | Flatiron Dragados USA, Inc. | 10 | $78,000 |
| Geotechnical Engineer | Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. | 10 | $86,540 |
| Transportation Engineer | Gorove/Slade Associates, Inc. | 5 | $88,000 |
| Cost Engineer | Flatiron Construction Corp. | 3 | $102,500 |
Specialties with 10 or more filings link to a dedicated breakdown.
Civil Engineers in Virginia, by industry
Median offered wage across 263 certified filings, grouped by NAICS industry sector. Professional services leads with a median of $89,000.
| Industry | Largest employer | Filings | Median offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professional services | Dulles Engineering, Inc | 162 | $89,000 |
| Technology and software | Amazon Data Services, Inc | 79 | $130,500 |
| Retail and wholesale | AMAZON DATA SERVICES, INC. | 6 | $142,150 |
| Education | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | 5 | $70,000 |
| Government and public sector | Virginia Department of Transportation | 4 | $107,384 |
| Manufacturing | Metromont LLC | 3 | $86,861 |
| Transportation and logistics | Empire Motors LLC | 1 | $75,000 |
| Energy and utilities | Quanta Infrastructure Solutions Group, LLC | 1 | $88,138 |
| Finance and insurance | American Real Estate Partners Management, LLC | 1 | $190,000 |
| Nonprofit and civic | Better Life 4 Forbidden Country | 1 | $90,938 |
Sectors with at least 25 filings link to a dedicated page with full distribution and sample employer breakdown.
Wage trend
Median annual wage in Virginia 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.
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Explore coursesTop metros in Virginia
Metro-level salary data for civil engineers in major Virginia metropolitan areas.
- Virginia Beach$94,680
- Richmond$91,300
Compare Civil Engineers pay across nearby states
Considering a move? Compare Virginia with another state
Frequently asked questions
- What is the median salary for Civil Engineers in Virginia?
- According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics, the median annual wage for Civil Engineers in Virginia is $97,120.
- How does Virginia compare to the national median for Civil Engineers?
- The Virginia median is -5.2% versus the BLS national figure of $102,499.
- What is the salary range for Civil Engineers in Virginia?
- BLS reports the 10th-percentile annual wage at $74,000 and the 90th-percentile at $150,710, 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.