How much does a public works director make?

The average public works director salary in the United States is $88,965. Public works director salaries typically range between $58,000 and $134,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for public works directors is $42.77 per hour. Public works director salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Public works directors earn the highest average salary in California.

Public works director salary

Q: What state pays Public Works Directors the most?

California pays Public Works Directors the most in the United States, with an average salary of $119,108 per year, or $57.26 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a public works director?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a public works director if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in District of Columbia you should be paid close to $117,808 per year.

Average public works director salary

$88,965

$42.77 hourly rate

Entry-level public works director salary

$58,000 yearly salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding the Public Works Director Salary

The average salary for a Public Works Director is currently $88,965 per year, with many factors influencing this figure. Salaries tend to vary by state, with higher earnings often found in urban areas where demand for infrastructure management is greater. For example, states like California and New York typically offer salaries above the national average due to the cost of living and the scale of operations.

In addition to geographical location, the level of experience plays a significant role in determining salary. Entry-level positions may start lower, while those with extensive experience and leadership roles can earn significantly more. Moreover, industry differences can also affect pay, with those working in government sectors often receiving benefits that enhance their overall compensation package.

To stay competitive, Public Works Directors are encouraged to pursue ongoing professional development and certifications. This not only enhances their skills but can lead to higher-paying opportunities within their careers. Job seekers can explore various platforms to find job listings and average salary information specific to their region, assisting them in making informed career decisions.

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Where can a Public Works Director earn more?

Compare salary by location

153k

133k

113k

93k

73k

53k

33k

Columbus, OH$123,632

Idaho Falls, ID$62,743

Compare salary by company

131k

111k

91k

71k

51k

Icma-rc$108,010

WTS International$81,112

Public works director salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a public works director typically falls between $76,912 and $135,107.

zippia

$88,965yearly

glassdoor[1]

$112,977yearly

comparably[2]

$90,699yearly

Salary.com[3]

$76,912yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$135,107yearly

payscale[5]

$82,748yearly

Average public works director salary by state

The highest-paying states for public works directors are California, Maryland, and New Jersey. The lowest average public works director salary states are Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Idaho.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for public works directors

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	California	$119,108	$57.26
2	District of Columbia	$117,808	$56.64
3	New Jersey	$114,735	$55.16
4	Connecticut	$108,919	$52.36
5	Nevada	$112,389	$54.03
6	Maryland	$117,171	$56.33
7	New York	$107,101	$51.49
8	Illinois	$105,651	$50.79
9	Massachusetts	$102,980	$49.51
10	Washington	$107,094	$51.49
11	Virginia	$102,879	$49.46
12	Rhode Island	$94,101	$45.24
13	Ohio	$104,288	$50.14
14	North Carolina	$94,366	$45.37
15	Texas	$92,860	$44.64
16	West Virginia	$82,979	$39.89
17	Delaware	$99,260	$47.72
18	Louisiana	$81,694	$39.28
19	Arizona	$92,229	$44.34
20	Colorado	$87,742	$42.18
21	Missouri	$89,977	$43.26
22	Alaska	$86,283	$41.48
23	New Mexico	$91,248	$43.87
24	Florida	$85,263	$40.99
25	Michigan	$86,151	$41.42
26	Pennsylvania	$83,560	$40.17
27	Alabama	$75,331	$36.22
28	Oregon	$82,160	$39.50
29	Georgia	$76,990	$37.01
30	Vermont	$78,443	$37.71
31	Wisconsin	$77,741	$37.38
32	Nebraska	$79,648	$38.29
33	South Dakota	$69,717	$33.52
34	South Carolina	$72,089	$34.66
35	New Hampshire	$82,161	$39.50
36	Minnesota	$78,997	$37.98
37	Hawaii	$86,003	$41.35
38	Kansas	$77,122	$37.08
39	Montana	$69,707	$33.51
40	Oklahoma	$64,995	$31.25
41	Wyoming	$70,378	$33.84
42	Indiana	$71,643	$34.44
43	North Dakota	$74,118	$35.63
44	Mississippi	$49,660	$23.88
45	Utah	$69,768	$33.54
46	Kentucky	$69,046	$33.20
47	Arkansas	$66,019	$31.74
48	Iowa	$69,620	$33.47
49	Tennessee	$63,768	$30.66
50	Maine	$62,560	$30.08
51	Idaho	$64,036	$30.79

Top public works director jobs near you

Highest paying cities for public works directors

The highest-paying cities for public works directors are San Rafael, CA, Washington, DC, and Reno, NV.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Rafael, CA	$123,632	$59.44
2	Washington, DC	$117,826	$56.65
3	Reno, NV	$114,933	$55.26
4	Sammamish, WA	$107,457	$51.66
5	Orland Park, IL	$105,851	$50.89
6	Charlottesville, VA	$102,802	$49.42
7	Pflugerville, TX	$93,435	$44.92
8	Prescott, AZ	$92,525	$44.48
9	Saint Charles, MO	$91,995	$44.23
10	Colorado Springs, CO	$87,858	$42.24
11	Palm Bay, FL	$85,889	$41.29
12	Mount Pleasant, MI	$85,430	$41.07
13	Saint Paul, MN	$79,101	$38.03
14	Topeka, KS	$77,718	$37.36
15	Idaho Falls, ID	$62,743	$30.16

Public works director salary details

A public works director's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $134,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average public works director salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a public works director's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$134,000	$11,167	$64
75th Percentile	$110,000	$9,167	$53
Average	$88,965	$7,414	$43
25th Percentile	$71,000	$5,917	$34
10th Percentile	$58,000	$4,833	$28

Highest paying public works director jobs

The highest paying types of public works directors are president/chief executive officer, senior vice president, and president.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Owner	$90,334	$7,528	$43.43	86,486
Board Member	$70,751	$5,896	$34.01	7,581
Co-Founder	$105,022	$8,752	$50.49	4,214
Chief Operating Officer	$136,604	$11,384	$65.67	128,993
Co-Owner	$86,704	$7,225	$41.68	52,915
Chief Finance Officer	$143,947	$11,996	$69.21	145,184

Top companies hiring public works directors now:

Which companies pay public works directors the most?

Public works director salaries at Icma-rc and City of Colleyville are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average public works director salary at companies like 1 8 3 Lanes and City Of Ceres are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	Icma-rc	$108,010	$51.93
2	City of Colleyville	$99,000	$47.60
3	1 8 3 Lanes	$98,130	$47.18
4	City Of Ceres	$97,842	$47.04
5	Borough Of Chambersburg	$96,279	$46.29
6	City of Lewistown	$95,319	$45.83
7	Westchester	$94,285	$45.33
8	Village of Ashwaubenon	$94,226	$45.30
9	City of Fort Madison	$94,222	$45.30
10	City of Prescott	$93,310	$44.86
11	Minnesota Limited	$93,228	$44.82
12	TAIT & Associates	$92,199	$44.33
13	City of Tukwila	$90,691	$43.60
14	City of Palm Bay	$89,108	$42.84
15	New York State Restaurant Association	$87,255	$41.95
16	Glenn County Emergency Service	$87,016	$41.83
17	City of Las Vegas	$86,683	$41.67
18	Lincoln Holdings LLC	$85,855	$41.28
19	Washington County	$83,766	$40.27
20	WTS International	$81,112	$39.00

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$85,000$83,200$81,400$79,600$77,800$76,000

MaleFemale

Public works director salary trends

The average public works director salary has risen by $9,109 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average public works director earned $79,856 annually, but today, they earn $88,965 a year. That works out to a 3% change in pay for public works directors over the last decade.

Compare public works director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average public works director salary over time

Compare public works director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Public works director salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$89,000	$42.77	+0.8%
2024	$88,300	$42.43	-2.8%
2023	$90,700	$43.61	+3.3%
2022	$87,700	$42.16	+1.1%
2021	$86,700	$41.68	+3.4%

Recently added public works director salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
HR Partners	Public Works Director	Louisburg, KS	06/24/2025	$72,000
WBCP	Assistant Public Works Director	Truckee, CA	06/22/2025	$146,048
International City Management	Public Works Director	Camas, WA	06/21/2025	$154,000
Tooele City	Assistant Public Works Director	Tooele, UT	06/21/2025	$91,582
American Water Resources Association	Assistant Public Works Director	California, MD	06/20/2025	$146,048
State of Wisconsin	Public Works Operations Director	Sun Prairie, WI	06/20/2025	$102,713
International City Management	Director of Public Works	Kane, IL	06/18/2025	$80,000
City of South Bend, In	Director of Department Finance-Public Works & City Engineering	South Bend, IN	06/18/2025	$86,500
International City Management	Public Works Director	Greeley, CO	06/16/2025	$147,500
International City Management	Public Works Director	Santa Barbara, CA	06/16/2025	$240,853

Public works director salary FAQs

What state pays Public Works Directors the most?

How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a public works director?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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