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Consulting engineer salary
Average consulting engineer salary
$97,746
Consulting Engineer Salary Insights
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Consulting Engineer is approximately $97,746 annually, equating to about $47 per hour. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and specialization within the engineering field.
In states like California and Texas, salaries tend to be higher, reflecting the demand for consulting engineers in these regions. The salary can also vary significantly based on experience level; entry-level positions may start around $70,000, while senior roles can exceed $120,000 annually.
Consulting Engineers work across diverse industries, including technology, construction, and environmental sectors. This diversity allows for various career paths and potential for growth. As such, understanding salary ranges for specific roles can help candidates negotiate effectively and make informed career choices. Explore job listings on Zippia to find opportunities tailored to your skills and aspirations.
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Where can a Consulting Engineer earn more?
Consulting engineer salaries by experience level
Consulting engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average consulting engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for consulting engineers are Washington, California, and Massachusetts. The lowest average consulting engineer salary states are Florida, Arkansas, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for consulting engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $113,291 | $54.47 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $106,417 | $51.16 |
| 3 | California | $113,083 | $54.37 |
| 4 | Delaware | $103,320 | $49.67 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $100,206 | $48.18 |
| 6 | Idaho | $101,989 | $49.03 |
| 7 | New Mexico | $100,690 | $48.41 |
| 8 | Arizona | $97,782 | $47.01 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $97,266 | $46.76 |
| 10 | Maryland | $100,473 | $48.30 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $101,193 | $48.65 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $101,036 | $48.58 |
| 13 | Oregon | $97,384 | $46.82 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $101,020 | $48.57 |
| 15 | Virginia | $96,473 | $46.38 |
| 16 | Colorado | $96,001 | $46.15 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $96,205 | $46.25 |
| 18 | Texas | $93,708 | $45.05 |
| 19 | Wyoming | $91,263 | $43.88 |
| 20 | Alaska | $99,613 | $47.89 |
| 21 | Ohio | $91,197 | $43.84 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $95,093 | $45.72 |
| 23 | North Dakota | $91,365 | $43.93 |
| 24 | Michigan | $86,855 | $41.76 |
| 25 | Utah | $87,988 | $42.30 |
| 26 | New York | $95,074 | $45.71 |
| 27 | Missouri | $92,378 | $44.41 |
| 28 | Louisiana | $94,249 | $45.31 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $91,041 | $43.77 |
| 30 | Nevada | $89,805 | $43.18 |
| 31 | Indiana | $87,973 | $42.29 |
| 32 | Maine | $91,580 | $44.03 |
| 33 | Georgia | $89,219 | $42.89 |
| 34 | Illinois | $88,581 | $42.59 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $85,723 | $41.21 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $87,278 | $41.96 |
| 37 | Alabama | $83,997 | $40.38 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $85,526 | $41.12 |
| 39 | Montana | $86,600 | $41.63 |
| 40 | Vermont | $83,820 | $40.30 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $86,005 | $41.35 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $80,876 | $38.88 |
| 43 | Kansas | $80,933 | $38.91 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $79,100 | $38.03 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,827 | $37.42 |
| 46 | Arkansas | $77,374 | $37.20 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $79,377 | $38.16 |
| 48 | Iowa | $75,039 | $36.08 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $75,533 | $36.31 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $72,554 | $34.88 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $70,278 | $33.79 |
Highest paying cities for consulting engineers
The highest-paying cities for consulting engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Boston, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $121,525 | $58.43 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $114,002 | $54.81 |
| 3 | Boston, MA | $106,599 | $51.25 |
| 4 | Wilmington, DE | $103,606 | $49.81 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $101,256 | $48.68 |
| 6 | Rockville, MD | $100,104 | $48.13 |
| 7 | Phoenix, AZ | $97,981 | $47.11 |
| 8 | Hartford, CT | $96,495 | $46.39 |
| 9 | Albany, NY | $96,115 | $46.21 |
| 10 | Denver, CO | $95,967 | $46.14 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $94,341 | $45.36 |
| 12 | OFallon, MO | $92,663 | $44.55 |
| 13 | Columbus, OH | $90,880 | $43.69 |
| 14 | Alpharetta, GA | $89,534 | $43.05 |
| 15 | Chicago, IL | $88,744 | $42.67 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $87,953 | $42.29 |
| 17 | Indianapolis, IN | $87,885 | $42.25 |
| 18 | American Fork, UT | $87,706 | $42.17 |
| 19 | Troy, MI | $87,089 | $41.87 |
| 20 | Raleigh, NC | $86,316 | $41.50 |
Consulting engineer salary details
A consulting engineer's salary ranges from $72,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $131,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a consulting engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| Average | $97,746 | $8,146 | $47 |
| 25th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
| 10th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
Highest paying consulting engineer jobs
The highest paying types of consulting engineers are principal engineer, contracting engineer, and team lead engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Lead Engineer | $114,867 | $9,572 | $55.22 | 235,155 |
| Lead Design Engineer | $108,490 | $9,041 | $52.16 | 118,073 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Integration Engineer | $99,674 | $8,306 | $47.92 | 103,437 |
| Service Engineer | $87,151 | $7,263 | $41.90 | 143,806 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $75,352 | $6,279 | $36.23 | 105,618 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for consulting engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring consulting engineers now:
Which companies pay consulting engineers the most?
Consulting engineer salaries at Apple and PDF Solutions are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average consulting engineer salary at companies like Slalom and MongoDB are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $144,957 | $69.69 |
| 2 | PDF Solutions | $131,383 | $63.16 |
| 3 | Slalom | $128,184 | $61.63 |
| 4 | MongoDB | $127,258 | $61.18 |
| 5 | TD Ameritrade | $123,093 | $59.18 |
| 6 | Chef Software | $122,995 | $59.13 |
| 7 | Palo Alto Networks | $122,960 | $59.12 |
| 8 | Juniper Networks | $120,787 | $58.07 |
| 9 | Adobe | $120,288 | $57.83 |
| 10 | Ciena | $119,783 | $57.59 |
| 11 | Cisco | $119,190 | $57.30 |
| 12 | Nokia | $118,152 | $56.80 |
| 13 | Occidental Petroleum | $117,934 | $56.70 |
| 14 | Connors & Sullivan, Attorneys at Law, PLLC | $115,659 | $55.61 |
| 15 | Dell | $115,018 | $55.30 |
| 16 | Kronos Incorporated | $108,609 | $52.22 |
| 17 | CyberCoders | $108,001 | $51.92 |
| 18 | Hitachi Vantara | $107,862 | $51.86 |
| 19 | Verizon Data Services Inc | $106,995 | $51.44 |
| 20 | Intralinks | $106,877 | $51.38 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Consulting Engineer salary by industry
The average consulting engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average consulting engineer salary in the technology industry is $99,126, the highest of any industry.
- The average consulting engineer salary in the finance industry is $98,678.
- Consulting engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $89,130, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for consulting engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $99,126 | $47.66 |
| 2 | Finance | $98,678 | $47.44 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $96,253 | $46.28 |
| 4 | Health Care | $94,635 | $45.50 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $91,469 | $43.98 |
| 6 | Professional | $89,130 | $42.85 |
High paying consulting engineer jobs
Consulting engineer salary trends
The average consulting engineer salary has risen by $11,850 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average consulting engineer earned $85,896 annually, but today, they earn $97,746 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for consulting engineers over the last decade.
Compare consulting engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average consulting engineer salary over time
Compare consulting engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Consulting engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $97,700 | $46.99 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $95,900 | $46.09 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $94,700 | $45.54 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $93,100 | $44.76 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $91,300 | $43.88 | +0.7% |
Recently added consulting engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Farma | CQV Engineering Consultant | Washington, DC | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| SGH | Consulting Engineer, Energy Structures | Houston, TX | 06/29/2025 | $88,920 |
| Project Farma | CQV Engineering Consultant | Newark, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $50,000 |
| City of Cleveland, Oh | Consulting Engineer-Cpp | Cleveland, OH | 06/28/2025 | $36,000 |
| Sargent & Lundy | Structural Engineering Consultant 2-Government Services | Albuquerque, NM | 06/27/2025 | $142,710 |
| Sargent & Lundy | Transmission Line Engineering Consultant 2-Grid | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $142,710 |
| Erm | Consulting Associate, Engineer | Minneapolis, MN | 06/25/2025 | $67,925 |
| Environmental Resources Management, Inc. | Consulting Associate, Engineer | Minneapolis, MN | 06/25/2025 | $67,925 |
| CDW | Managing Consulting Engineer | Kane, IL | 06/21/2025 | $140,000 |
| Zurich Insurance Company Ltd. | Property Risk Engineering Consultant | San Francisco, CA | 06/20/2025 | $98,300 |
Consulting engineer salary FAQs
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