Civil Engineer Salary

Civil engineers design things that people use every day, such as buildings, roadways, bridges and water supply systems. Not only do they use their skills and knowledge to create new structures, but they also repair and maintain existing structures. Civil engineering is a challenging yet exciting line of work that allows people to design functional and innovative buildings and structures to be used by their local community and society as a whole. Because employment in the civil engineering field depends mainly on the state of the construction industry, a civil engineer salary can depend on the economy, among many other factors.

There are nearly 280,000 civil engineers in the United States, the most of any type of engineer. However, despite being the most popular and oldest type of engineering, it is considered one of the lowest-paying types of engineering. An engineer salary can vary from $50,000 to $119,000 annually. The average starting salary is slightly above $52,000, with the average at around $78,000. Despite this, there are excellent benefits and many opportunities for growth. Plus, there is job security. Civil engineering is growing rapidly to support the nation's growing population. There are plenty of job opportunities for those who have the skills and knowledge, with almost all offering a high civil engineer salary.

Most civil engineers work for engineering firms or for state or local government. However, the top civil engineer salaries can be found in the machinery and equipment industry, with an annual average of nearly $134,000. The second-highest-paying industry is in hardware, plumbing and heating equipment, at slightly above $112,000 annually. More than 36,000 civil engineers work in California, the most of any state. In second place is Texas, with nearly 22,000. California is also the highest-paying state, with an average civil engineer salary of nearly $95,000. Louisiana is next on the list, with average salaries of nearly $93,000. In terms of metropolitan areas, Lafayette, Louisiana ranks highest, with an average civil engineer salary of $112,000. Salinas, California ranks second with an average salary of $110,000.

It also pays to have a specialty in the civil engineering field. Hydraulics, transportation and construction are all areas you can specialize in. If you gain the education and experience to work in a highly specialized area of civil engineering, you can become an expert in your field. This can make you more valuable to employers, thus increasing your civil engineer salary.

As you can see, a civil engineer salary can vary due to location and industry. Education and experience level are also factors that can make a difference in your pay. Those with a master's degree tend to earn about $10,000 per year more than those with a bachelor's degree. Experience level is a huge factor. Although a starting civil engineer salary is around $52,000, this amount can double with just 10-15 years of experience under your belt. Combine education and experience with the right location and industry, and you can possibly earn $130,000 or more.

Although civil engineer growth is expected to increase by 24 percent over the next decade, this can vary by location or economic conditions, where construction is affected. Most growth is expected to occur due to population growth and the need to improve roadways and structures to support this growth. There will also be high demand for "green," or environmentally-friendly structures and materials. Those with experience with these types of materials can expect to earn a higher civil engineer salary. There are many areas in need of highly skilled civil engineers, such as government, transportation, construction, engineering, architecture and consulting, with each offering a variety of civil engineering salaries.