Best states for a civil engineering internship

Q: What is the best state for civil engineering interns?

The best state to be a civil engineering internship is Washington based on civil engineering internship salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for civil engineering interns?

The highest paying state for civil engineering interns is North Carolina based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for civil engineering interns?

The worst state for civil engineering interns is North Carolina, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.

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Job opportunities vary from state to state, and architecture and engineering careers are no different. Because we know how difficult it can be to know which states are the best when it comes to civil engineering internship jobs, we decided to crunch some numbers to bring you the best states for civil engineering interns.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for civil engineering interns. We found that Washington is the best state in the nation for civil engineering interns, and people in Eureka earn the most in the field.

The median salary for civil engineering interns in Washington is $69,522. Compare that to the median salary in North Carolina of $46,038, which ranked worst for civil engineering interns, and you can see how your location is important for your career.If you are currently seeking employment as a civil engineering internship, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.

10 best states for civil engineering interns in 2026

1. Washington
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 1,090
Average annual salary: $69,522
Lowest 10 percent earn: $41,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
1.62
Civil engineering internship jobs in Washington
2. Alaska
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 140
Average annual salary: $70,599
Lowest 10 percent earn: $55,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $90,000
Location Quotient:
1.82
Civil engineering internship jobs in Alaska
3. Virginia
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 1,133
Average annual salary: $67,693
Lowest 10 percent earn: $42,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000
Location Quotient:
1.3
Civil engineering internship jobs in Virginia
4. Delaware
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 175
Average annual salary: $63,413
Lowest 10 percent earn: $39,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000
Location Quotient:
1.51
Civil engineering internship jobs in Delaware
5. Maine
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 181
Average annual salary: $61,012
Lowest 10 percent earn: $40,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $92,000
Location Quotient:
1.48
Civil engineering internship jobs in Maine
6. Pennsylvania
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 1,002
Average annual salary: $69,122
Lowest 10 percent earn: $43,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000
Location Quotient:
0.93
Civil engineering internship jobs in Pennsylvania
7. New Jersey
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 678
Average annual salary: $72,862
Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $115,000
Location Quotient:
0.93
Civil engineering internship jobs in New Jersey
8. Oklahoma
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 227
Average annual salary: $71,975
Lowest 10 percent earn: $48,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $107,000
Location Quotient:
0.8
Civil engineering internship jobs in Oklahoma
9. California
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 797
Average annual salary: $86,792
Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000
Location Quotient:
0.3
Civil engineering internship jobs in California
10. North Dakota
Total civil engineering internship jobs: 143
Average annual salary: $56,902
Lowest 10 percent earn: $38,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $84,000
Location Quotient:
1.67
Civil engineering internship jobs in North Dakota

Civil engineering internship jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a civil engineering internship

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a civil engineering internship

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Washington	$69,522	$41,000	7,405,743	1,090
2	Alaska	$70,599	$55,000	739,795	140
3	Virginia	$67,693	$42,000	8,470,020	1,133
4	Delaware	$63,413	$39,000	961,939	175
5	Maine	$61,012	$40,000	1,335,907	181
6	Pennsylvania	$69,122	$43,000	12,805,537	1,002
7	New Jersey	$72,862	$46,000	9,005,644	678
8	Oklahoma	$71,975	$48,000	3,930,864	227
9	California	$86,792	$53,000	39,536,653	797
10	North Dakota	$56,902	$38,000	755,393	143
11	Connecticut	$62,855	$39,000	3,588,184	443
12	Massachusetts	$61,471	$39,000	6,859,819	1,101
13	New York	$64,143	$40,000	19,849,399	1,373
14	Rhode Island	$58,637	$37,000	1,059,639	173
15	Kentucky	$62,451	$41,000	4,454,189	291
16	Minnesota	$60,956	$41,000	5,576,606	641
17	District of Columbia	$62,257	$39,000	693,972	239
18	Idaho	$57,940	$35,000	1,716,943	231
19	Florida	$62,060	$39,000	20,984,400	1,377
20	Louisiana	$60,722	$38,000	4,684,333	262
21	Oregon	$63,847	$38,000	4,142,776	175
22	West Virginia	$54,592	$35,000	1,815,857	154
23	Nevada	$58,231	$35,000	2,998,039	192
24	Mississippi	$57,201	$37,000	2,984,100	193
25	Texas	$58,157	$37,000	28,304,596	1,836
26	New Hampshire	$56,079	$36,000	1,342,795	202
27	Hawaii	$62,275	$53,000	1,427,538	130
28	Iowa	$55,294	$37,000	3,145,711	353
29	Vermont	$59,069	$38,000	623,657	35
30	Colorado	$54,530	$36,000	5,607,154	823
31	New Mexico	$53,637	$34,000	2,088,070	226
32	Utah	$52,863	$33,000	3,101,833	429
33	Maryland	$56,350	$35,000	6,052,177	717
34	Wisconsin	$53,391	$35,000	5,795,483	507
35	Georgia	$55,053	$35,000	10,429,379	857
36	Arizona	$51,630	$33,000	7,016,270	681
37	Michigan	$51,213	$33,000	9,962,311	818
38	Kansas	$52,785	$35,000	2,913,123	269
39	Montana	$48,969	$31,000	1,050,493	171
40	Nebraska	$51,422	$34,000	1,920,076	234
41	Indiana	$50,889	$34,000	6,666,818	603
42	Ohio	$51,887	$33,000	11,658,609	786
43	Tennessee	$52,100	$34,000	6,715,984	408
44	Wyoming	$46,540	$30,000	579,315	97
45	Arkansas	$49,977	$33,000	3,004,279	261
46	Alabama	$50,400	$32,000	4,874,747	406
47	Missouri	$52,109	$35,000	6,113,532	468
48	South Dakota	$49,047	$32,000	869,666	115
49	Illinois	$50,179	$33,000	12,802,023	1,106
50	South Carolina	$47,150	$30,000	5,024,369	413
51	North Carolina	$46,038	$29,000	10,273,419	971

Highest paying states for civil engineering interns

Rank	State	Avg. Civil Engineering Internship Salary
1	Washington	$69,522
2	Alaska	$70,599
3	Virginia	$67,693
4	Delaware	$63,413
5	Maine	$61,012
6	Pennsylvania	$69,122
7	New Jersey	$72,862
8	Oklahoma	$71,975
9	California	$86,792
10	North Dakota	$56,902
11	Connecticut	$62,855
12	Massachusetts	$61,471
13	New York	$64,143
14	Rhode Island	$58,637
15	Kentucky	$62,451
16	Minnesota	$60,956
17	District of Columbia	$62,257
18	Idaho	$57,940
19	Florida	$62,060
20	Louisiana	$60,722
21	Oregon	$63,847
22	West Virginia	$54,592
23	Nevada	$58,231
24	Mississippi	$57,201
25	Texas	$58,157
26	New Hampshire	$56,079
27	Hawaii	$62,275
28	Iowa	$55,294
29	Vermont	$59,069
30	Colorado	$54,530
31	New Mexico	$53,637
32	Utah	$52,863
33	Maryland	$56,350
34	Wisconsin	$53,391
35	Georgia	$55,053
36	Arizona	$51,630
37	Michigan	$51,213
38	Kansas	$52,785
39	Montana	$48,969
40	Nebraska	$51,422
41	Indiana	$50,889
42	Ohio	$51,887
43	Tennessee	$52,100
44	Wyoming	$46,540
45	Arkansas	$49,977
46	Alabama	$50,400
47	Missouri	$52,109
48	South Dakota	$49,047
49	Illinois	$50,179
50	South Carolina	$47,150
51	North Carolina	$46,038

Expert opinions on the best states for civil engineering interns

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for civil engineering internships to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."

Civil engineering internship best states FAQs

What is the best state for civil engineering interns?

What is the highest paying state for civil engineering interns?

What is the worst state for civil engineering interns?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Best states for Civil Engineering Interns

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs

Total civil engineering internship jobs:	1,090
Average annual salary:	$69,522
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$41,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$115,000
Location Quotient:	1.62

Best states for a civil engineering internship

10 best states for civil engineering interns in 2026

1. Washington

2. Alaska

3. Virginia

4. Delaware

5. Maine

6. Pennsylvania

7. New Jersey

8. Oklahoma

9. California

10. North Dakota