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Highway engineer salary
Average highway engineer salary
$71,538
Average Highway Engineer Salary
As of October 2025, the average highway engineer salary in the United States stands at $71,538 per year. Salaries for highway engineers can differ based on various factors such as experience, location, and industry sector. For instance, entry-level engineers may start at lower salaries, while those with several years of experience can earn significantly more.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level highway engineers can expect to earn around $58,000, while mid-career professionals make approximately $73,000. Senior engineers, particularly those in leadership roles or specialized positions, can command salaries exceeding $90,000.
Regional Salary Variances
Salary levels also vary by state. For example, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to their cost of living and demand for engineering services. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may see lower average salaries.
Understand the factors affecting your salary as a highway engineer to better navigate your career path and maximize your earning potential.
Let Zippia find your next highway engineer job
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Where can a Highway Engineer earn more?
Highway engineer salaries by experience level
Highway engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average highway engineer salary by state
The average highway engineer salary in California, Alaska, and Colorado are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average highway engineer salary states are Tennessee, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for highway engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,789 | $47.01 |
| 2 | Alaska | $81,210 | $39.04 |
| 3 | Colorado | $78,940 | $37.95 |
| 4 | Alabama | $76,422 | $36.74 |
| 5 | Oregon | $73,845 | $35.50 |
| 6 | Washington | $73,949 | $35.55 |
| 7 | Maine | $72,366 | $34.79 |
| 8 | Vermont | $71,576 | $34.41 |
| 9 | Missouri | $76,332 | $36.70 |
| 10 | Delaware | $71,887 | $34.56 |
| 11 | New York | $74,473 | $35.80 |
| 12 | Oklahoma | $72,525 | $34.87 |
| 13 | Arizona | $69,512 | $33.42 |
| 14 | Indiana | $70,103 | $33.70 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $72,703 | $34.95 |
| 16 | Hawaii | $71,613 | $34.43 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $71,298 | $34.28 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $71,826 | $34.53 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $70,480 | $33.88 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $70,982 | $34.13 |
| 21 | Texas | $67,544 | $32.47 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $68,941 | $33.14 |
| 23 | Utah | $67,197 | $32.31 |
| 24 | Nevada | $67,160 | $32.29 |
| 25 | Montana | $67,060 | $32.24 |
| 26 | North Dakota | $67,289 | $32.35 |
| 27 | Virginia | $68,188 | $32.78 |
| 28 | Idaho | $67,683 | $32.54 |
| 29 | Pennsylvania | $67,632 | $32.52 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $70,563 | $33.92 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $64,349 | $30.94 |
| 32 | Florida | $66,656 | $32.05 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $68,213 | $32.79 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $63,617 | $30.59 |
| 35 | Illinois | $66,906 | $32.17 |
| 36 | New Hampshire | $66,894 | $32.16 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $66,129 | $31.79 |
| 38 | Maryland | $65,022 | $31.26 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $63,440 | $30.50 |
| 40 | Nebraska | $61,308 | $29.48 |
| 41 | Ohio | $62,264 | $29.93 |
| 42 | New Mexico | $64,627 | $31.07 |
| 43 | Wyoming | $57,203 | $27.50 |
| 44 | Kansas | $63,208 | $30.39 |
| 45 | Michigan | $57,998 | $27.88 |
| 46 | Iowa | $60,442 | $29.06 |
| 47 | Georgia | $56,760 | $27.29 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $59,061 | $28.39 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $59,769 | $28.74 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $57,888 | $27.83 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $56,367 | $27.10 |
Highest paying cities for highway engineers
The highest-paying cities for highway engineers are Los Angeles, CA, Albany, NY, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $96,319 | $46.31 |
| 2 | Albany, NY | $74,647 | $35.89 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $74,335 | $35.74 |
| 4 | South Portland, ME | $72,406 | $34.81 |
| 5 | Newark, DE | $71,878 | $34.56 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $71,834 | $34.54 |
| 7 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $71,706 | $34.47 |
| 8 | Newark, NJ | $70,602 | $33.94 |
| 9 | Indianapolis, IN | $70,023 | $33.66 |
| 10 | Providence, RI | $68,224 | $32.80 |
| 11 | Jacksonville, FL | $67,912 | $32.65 |
| 12 | Dallas, TX | $67,825 | $32.61 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $67,705 | $32.55 |
| 14 | Lansing, IL | $66,933 | $32.18 |
| 15 | Concord, NH | $66,877 | $32.15 |
| 16 | Baton Rouge, LA | $66,122 | $31.79 |
| 17 | Baltimore, MD | $65,090 | $31.29 |
| 18 | Charleston, WV | $63,356 | $30.46 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $62,209 | $29.91 |
| 20 | Omaha, NE | $61,259 | $29.45 |
Highway engineer salary details
A highway engineer's salary ranges from $55,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $92,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a highway engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| 75th Percentile | $82,000 | $6,833 | $39 |
| Average | $71,538 | $5,962 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $55,000 | $4,583 | $26 |
Highest paying highway engineer jobs
The highest paying types of highway engineers are resident engineer, senior structural engineer, and engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Designer | $63,273 | $5,273 | $30.42 | 51,432 |
| Civil Designer | $58,421 | $4,868 | $28.09 | 57,036 |
| Structural Engineering Internship | $47,072 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 105,826 |
| Civil Engineering Internship | $52,597 | $4,383 | $25.29 | 109,733 |
| Structures Engineer | $73,391 | $6,116 | $35.28 | 20,778 |
| Structural Design Engineer | $75,662 | $6,305 | $36.38 | 57,187 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for highway engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring highway engineers now:
Which companies pay highway engineers the most?
Highway engineer salaries at Parsons and RS&H; are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average highway engineer salary at companies like Whitman and EXP are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $81,901 | $39.38 |
| 2 | RS&H | $79,802 | $38.37 |
| 3 | Whitman | $78,631 | $37.80 |
| 4 | EXP | $76,853 | $36.95 |
| 5 | STV Group | $75,752 | $36.42 |
| 6 | Ch2M Hill | $75,347 | $36.22 |
| 7 | Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | $75,335 | $36.22 |
| 8 | Century Engineering | $75,315 | $36.21 |
| 9 | Mccormick Taylor, Inc. | $75,079 | $36.10 |
| 10 | Colliers Engineering & Design | $75,063 | $36.09 |
| 11 | Cummins | $74,256 | $35.70 |
| 12 | Stantec | $74,231 | $35.69 |
| 13 | Jacobs Engineering Group | $74,164 | $35.66 |
| 14 | Larson Design Group | $73,799 | $35.48 |
| 15 | HNTB | $73,357 | $35.27 |
| 16 | Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission | $73,316 | $35.25 |
| 17 | Jacobs Enterprises | $73,232 | $35.21 |
| 18 | SJB Services, Inc / Empire Geo Services, Inc. | $73,231 | $35.21 |
| 19 | P B Holdings | $73,231 | $35.21 |
| 20 | URS E&C Holdings Inc | $73,231 | $35.21 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Highway Engineer salary by industry
The average highway engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average highway engineer salary in the health care industry is $75,261, the highest of any industry.
- The average highway engineer salary in the finance industry is $74,422.
- Highway engineers in the government industry earn an average salary of $70,251, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for highway engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care | $75,261 | $36.18 |
| 2 | Professional | $74,422 | $35.78 |
| 3 | Technology | $72,642 | $34.92 |
| 4 | Government | $70,251 | $33.77 |
High paying highway engineer jobs
Highway engineer salary trends
The average highway engineer salary has risen by $8,545 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average highway engineer earned $62,993 annually, but today, they earn $71,538 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for highway engineers over the last decade.
Compare highway engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average highway engineer salary over time
Compare highway engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Highway engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $71,500 | $34.39 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | $70,300 | $33.81 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | $70,000 | $33.64 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $68,500 | $32.92 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $67,500 | $32.44 | +1.6% |
Recently added highway engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta | Highway Engineer | Noank, CT | 06/30/2025 | $75,000 |
| Tandmassociates | Principal Highway Engineer | Middletown, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $104,500 |
| Caterpillar | BIQ Engineer-Off-Highway Trucks | Decatur, IL | 06/28/2025 | $87,480 |
| Parsons | Principal Civil Roadway & Highway Engineer | Raleigh, NC | 06/28/2025 | $100,900 |
| Lochner | Senior Highway Engineer | Ontario, CA | 06/28/2025 | $165,000 |
| Gannett Fleming | Senior Highway Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/25/2025 | $112,000 |
| Morrison-Maierle Inc. | Highway Engineer | Bozeman, MT | 06/25/2025 | $80,000 |
| Morrison-Maierle Inc. | Highway Engineer | Spokane, WA | 06/25/2025 | $80,000 |
| Actalent | Senior Highway Engineer | Cherry Hill, NJ | 06/24/2025 | $100,000 |
| Aecom | SR. Transportation Highway/Roadway Engineer | Chelmsford, MA | 06/23/2025 | $120,000 |
Highway engineer salary FAQs
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