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Civil designer salary
Average civil designer salary
$58,421
Understanding Civil Designer Salaries
A Civil Designer plays a critical role in planning and designing infrastructure projects, such as roads, bridges, and drainage systems. As of October 2025, the average salary for a civil designer is $58,421 per year, equating to around $28 per hour. Salary figures can vary significantly depending on state, experience, and specific industry demands.
Salary Variations by State
In states like California and New York, civil designers might earn substantially more due to the cost of living and demand for infrastructure development. For example, the highest-paying states often include:
- California
- New York
- Texas
Moreover, experience can greatly influence earning potential, with entry-level positions starting lower while seasoned professionals command higher salaries. As you progress in your career, continuing education and certification can further enhance your job prospects and salary.
Job Opportunities
Explore various job listings on Zippia to find opportunities that align with your skills and salary expectations. The civil design field is evolving, offering diverse pathways for growth and advancement.
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Where can a Civil Designer earn more?
Civil designer salaries by experience level
Civil designer salary estimates from across the web
Average civil designer salary by state
The average civil designer salary in California, Alaska, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average civil designer salary states are South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for civil designers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $93,163 | $44.79 |
| 2 | Washington | $67,814 | $32.60 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $75,957 | $36.52 |
| 4 | Alaska | $71,325 | $34.29 |
| 5 | Oregon | $64,320 | $30.92 |
| 6 | Maine | $64,331 | $30.93 |
| 7 | New York | $65,721 | $31.60 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $63,586 | $30.57 |
| 9 | Nevada | $66,059 | $31.76 |
| 10 | Delaware | $65,794 | $31.63 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | $66,799 | $32.11 |
| 12 | Texas | $61,877 | $29.75 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $68,935 | $33.14 |
| 14 | Virginia | $63,432 | $30.50 |
| 15 | Missouri | $64,675 | $31.09 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $64,753 | $31.13 |
| 17 | Maryland | $66,585 | $32.01 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $63,899 | $30.72 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $60,927 | $29.29 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $62,398 | $30.00 |
| 21 | Vermont | $63,646 | $30.60 |
| 22 | Colorado | $61,932 | $29.77 |
| 23 | Arizona | $59,627 | $28.67 |
| 24 | Utah | $58,729 | $28.24 |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $60,313 | $29.00 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $57,989 | $27.88 |
| 27 | Idaho | $60,555 | $29.11 |
| 28 | Illinois | $59,464 | $28.59 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $60,483 | $29.08 |
| 30 | Iowa | $58,826 | $28.28 |
| 31 | Hawaii | $67,120 | $32.27 |
| 32 | Wisconsin | $55,693 | $26.78 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $58,825 | $28.28 |
| 34 | Louisiana | $60,061 | $28.88 |
| 35 | Michigan | $56,202 | $27.02 |
| 36 | Montana | $56,533 | $27.18 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $57,268 | $27.53 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $55,769 | $26.81 |
| 39 | Georgia | $52,216 | $25.10 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $55,998 | $26.92 |
| 41 | Alabama | $53,545 | $25.74 |
| 42 | Ohio | $52,445 | $25.21 |
| 43 | Florida | $53,416 | $25.68 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $51,961 | $24.98 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $51,784 | $24.90 |
| 46 | Indiana | $52,796 | $25.38 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $50,358 | $24.21 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $49,737 | $23.91 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $48,521 | $23.33 |
| 50 | Kansas | $48,131 | $23.14 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $47,359 | $22.77 |
Highest paying cities for civil designers
The highest-paying cities for civil designers are Walnut Creek, CA, Seattle, WA, and Wilmington, DE.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walnut Creek, CA | $100,518 | $48.33 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $68,553 | $32.96 |
| 3 | Wilmington, DE | $65,921 | $31.69 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $65,842 | $31.65 |
| 5 | Las Vegas, NV | $65,059 | $31.28 |
| 6 | Portland, ME | $64,725 | $31.12 |
| 7 | Kansas City, MO | $64,664 | $31.09 |
| 8 | Durham, NC | $64,087 | $30.81 |
| 9 | Portland, OR | $63,919 | $30.73 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $63,918 | $30.73 |
| 11 | Richmond, VA | $63,149 | $30.36 |
| 12 | San Antonio, TX | $62,722 | $30.15 |
| 13 | Providence, RI | $62,388 | $29.99 |
| 14 | Denver, CO | $61,948 | $29.78 |
| 15 | Harrisburg, PA | $60,711 | $29.19 |
| 16 | Phoenix, AZ | $59,656 | $28.68 |
| 17 | Chicago, IL | $59,580 | $28.64 |
| 18 | Salt Lake City, UT | $58,480 | $28.12 |
| 19 | Albuquerque, NM | $55,985 | $26.92 |
| 20 | Minneapolis, MN | $55,810 | $26.83 |
Civil designer salary details
A civil designer's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $81,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a civil designer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| 75th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| Average | $58,421 | $4,868 | $28 |
| 25th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying civil designer jobs
The highest paying types of civil designers are resident engineer, senior structural engineer, and office engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineering Internship | $47,072 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 105,826 |
| Project Field Engineer | $71,292 | $5,941 | $34.27 | 78,589 |
| Construction Engineer | $74,680 | $6,223 | $35.90 | 51,380 |
| Office Engineer | $89,581 | $7,465 | $43.07 | 59,644 |
| Structures Engineer | $73,391 | $6,116 | $35.28 | 20,778 |
| Site Engineer | $75,719 | $6,310 | $36.40 | 42,333 |
Top companies hiring civil designers now:
Which companies pay civil designers the most?
Civil designer salaries at Parsons and Jacobs Engineering Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average civil designer salary at companies like CDM Smith and Fluor are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $101,806 | $48.95 |
| 2 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $84,032 | $40.40 |
| 3 | CDM Smith | $82,169 | $39.50 |
| 4 | Fluor Corporation | $80,673 | $38.79 |
| 5 | Little Diversified Architectural Consulting | $78,156 | $37.58 |
| 6 | Cyntergy | $78,049 | $37.52 |
| 7 | Walter P Moore | $75,707 | $36.40 |
| 8 | T.Y. Lin International | $75,018 | $36.07 |
| 9 | McAdams | $74,910 | $36.01 |
| 10 | Huitt-Zollars | $74,892 | $36.01 |
| 11 | Hilti | $74,705 | $35.92 |
| 12 | D.R. Horton | $74,354 | $35.75 |
| 13 | Gannett Fleming | $73,792 | $35.48 |
| 14 | Merrick & Co | $73,174 | $35.18 |
| 15 | HDR | $72,966 | $35.08 |
| 16 | PEAK Technical Staffing USA | $72,949 | $35.07 |
| 17 | AECOM | $72,230 | $34.73 |
| 18 | Stantec | $71,927 | $34.58 |
| 19 | Carollo Engineers | $71,603 | $34.42 |
| 20 | The Foth Companies | $71,371 | $34.31 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Civil designer salary trends
The average civil designer salary has risen by $6,978 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average civil designer earned $51,443 annually, but today, they earn $58,421 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for civil designers over the last decade.
Compare civil designer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average civil designer salary over time
Compare civil designer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Civil designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,400 | $28.09 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | $57,400 | $27.61 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $57,100 | $27.48 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $55,900 | $26.88 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $55,100 | $26.49 | +1.6% |
Recently added civil designer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imeg Consultants | Civil Graduate Designer 2 | Pasadena, CA | 06/29/2025 | $67,000 |
| Imeg Consultants | Civil Designer-Site Development | Nashua, NH or | Burlington, MA | 06/29/2025 | $74,000 |
| Michael Baker | Civil Cadd Designer-Structural Detailer | Philadelphia, PA | 06/29/2025 | $68,000 |
| Alfredbeneschco | Designer I-Railroad Civil/Track | Charlotte, NC | 06/29/2025 | $60,000 |
| Cecinc | Civil Designer | Gold River, CA | 06/29/2025 | $83,480 |
| Actalent | Civil Designer | Madison, WI | 06/29/2025 | $58,436 |
| Black & Veatch | Civil Designer-Water Job Details | Black & Veatch Family of Companies | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $53,306 |
| Black & Veatch | Civil Designer-Water Job Details | Black & Veatch Family of Companies | San Marcos, CA | 06/27/2025 | $53,306 |
| Sargent & Lundy | Mid-Level Civil Designer--S&L Consulting | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $54,420 |
| Actalent | Civil Designer | Little Rock, AR | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
Civil designer salary FAQs
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