Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Drainage engineer salary
Average drainage engineer salary
$80,313
Understanding the Drainage Engineer Salary
A Drainage Engineer plays a vital role in managing stormwater and drainage systems, ensuring public safety and environmental compliance. The current average salary stands at $80,313 per year, with variations based on state and experience level. New engineers typically start around $63,000, while those with extensive experience can exceed $100,000 annually.
Salary by State
Salaries vary significantly across the United States. For instance, states like California and New York offer some of the highest compensation rates for drainage engineers, often exceeding the national average. In contrast, states with lower costs of living may offer reduced salaries, making location a critical factor for prospective engineers.
Job Opportunities
As urbanization increases, the demand for drainage engineers continues to grow. Opportunities in municipal planning, environmental consulting, and construction management are prevalent. Specializing in areas like flood risk management or sustainable design can further enhance career prospects and salary potential.
Let Zippi find your next drainage engineer job
Let Zippi find your next drainage engineer job
Where can a Drainage Engineer earn more?
Drainage engineer salaries by experience level
Drainage engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average drainage engineer salary by state
The average drainage engineer salary in Alaska, Colorado, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average drainage engineer salary states are Tennessee, Maryland, and Michigan.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for drainage engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | $88,853 | $42.72 |
| 2 | Alaska | $92,440 | $44.44 |
| 3 | Oregon | $84,151 | $40.46 |
| 4 | Washington | $84,841 | $40.79 |
| 5 | Alabama | $82,243 | $39.54 |
| 6 | Idaho | $77,288 | $37.16 |
| 7 | Maine | $76,423 | $36.74 |
| 8 | Montana | $76,417 | $36.74 |
| 9 | Delaware | $77,024 | $37.03 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | $80,098 | $38.51 |
| 11 | California | $80,654 | $38.78 |
| 12 | Missouri | $81,419 | $39.14 |
| 13 | Louisiana | $77,109 | $37.07 |
| 14 | Connecticut | $80,980 | $38.93 |
| 15 | Utah | $75,589 | $36.34 |
| 16 | Vermont | $76,015 | $36.55 |
| 17 | Mississippi | $77,443 | $37.23 |
| 18 | Iowa | $75,877 | $36.48 |
| 19 | Texas | $75,472 | $36.28 |
| 20 | New York | $78,534 | $37.76 |
| 21 | Nevada | $75,112 | $36.11 |
| 22 | North Dakota | $73,641 | $35.40 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $76,907 | $36.97 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $76,722 | $36.89 |
| 25 | Hawaii | $75,028 | $36.07 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $74,441 | $35.79 |
| 27 | Indiana | $73,909 | $35.53 |
| 28 | Arizona | $72,543 | $34.88 |
| 29 | Virginia | $72,349 | $34.78 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $72,952 | $35.07 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $72,688 | $34.95 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $67,775 | $32.58 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $72,395 | $34.81 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $74,771 | $35.95 |
| 35 | District of Columbia | $67,704 | $32.55 |
| 36 | Florida | $69,106 | $33.22 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | $73,047 | $35.12 |
| 38 | Illinois | $70,749 | $34.01 |
| 39 | New Hampshire | $71,296 | $34.28 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $68,277 | $32.83 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $66,954 | $32.19 |
| 42 | Maryland | $61,968 | $29.79 |
| 43 | Nebraska | $64,770 | $31.14 |
| 44 | Kansas | $68,294 | $32.83 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $65,166 | $31.33 |
| 46 | Ohio | $65,725 | $31.60 |
| 47 | Georgia | $60,463 | $29.07 |
| 48 | Michigan | $61,719 | $29.67 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $63,023 | $30.30 |
| 50 | Wisconsin | $61,558 | $29.60 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $61,241 | $29.44 |
Highest paying cities for drainage engineers
The highest-paying cities for drainage engineers are Englewood, CO, Seattle, WA, and Kansas City, MO.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Englewood, CO | $88,871 | $42.73 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $85,262 | $40.99 |
| 3 | Kansas City, MO | $81,795 | $39.32 |
| 4 | Los Angeles, CA | $79,887 | $38.41 |
| 5 | Minneapolis, MN | $76,957 | $37.00 |
| 6 | Fort Worth, TX | $76,165 | $36.62 |
| 7 | West Jordan, UT | $75,602 | $36.35 |
| 8 | Henderson, NV | $74,489 | $35.81 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $73,046 | $35.12 |
| 10 | Arlington, VA | $72,752 | $34.98 |
| 11 | Santa Fe, NM | $72,728 | $34.97 |
| 12 | Phoenix, AZ | $72,666 | $34.94 |
| 13 | Tallahassee, FL | $71,567 | $34.41 |
| 14 | McHenry, IL | $70,899 | $34.09 |
| 15 | Columbia, SC | $68,296 | $32.83 |
| 16 | Milwaukee, WI | $61,534 | $29.58 |
Drainage engineer salary details
A drainage engineer's salary ranges from $60,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $106,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a drainage engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| 75th Percentile | $92,000 | $7,667 | $44 |
| Average | $80,313 | $6,693 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
Highest paying drainage engineer jobs
The highest paying types of drainage engineers are resident engineer, senior structural engineer, and engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Designer | $58,421 | $4,868 | $28.09 | 57,036 |
| Structural Designer | $63,273 | $5,273 | $30.42 | 51,432 |
| Structural Engineering Internship | $47,072 | $3,923 | $22.63 | 105,826 |
| Civil Engineering Internship | $52,597 | $4,383 | $25.29 | 109,733 |
| Civil/Structural Engineer | $74,421 | $6,202 | $35.78 | 20,123 |
| Geotechnical Engineer | $74,831 | $6,236 | $35.98 | 15,062 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for drainage engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring drainage engineers now:
Which companies pay drainage engineers the most?
Drainage engineer salaries at Parsons and Whitman are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average drainage engineer salary at companies like WGI and Colliers Engineering & Design are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parsons | $88,099 | $42.36 |
| 2 | Whitman | $85,069 | $40.90 |
| 3 | WGI | $84,688 | $40.72 |
| 4 | Colliers Engineering & Design | $82,342 | $39.59 |
| 5 | Wsp USA Buildings Inc. | $82,125 | $39.48 |
| 6 | CDM Smith | $81,343 | $39.11 |
| 7 | CONSOR Engineers | $81,270 | $39.07 |
| 8 | P B Holdings | $81,270 | $39.07 |
| 9 | Jacobs Enterprises | $81,270 | $39.07 |
| 10 | Florida Transportation Services Inc | $81,270 | $39.07 |
| 11 | Snc-lavalin Project Services, Inc. | $81,215 | $39.05 |
| 12 | My Florida Regional Mls | $80,372 | $38.64 |
| 13 | Fishbeck | $79,862 | $38.40 |
| 14 | City of Auburn | $79,401 | $38.17 |
| 15 | HDR | $78,765 | $37.87 |
| 16 | Stantec | $78,297 | $37.64 |
| 17 | Michael Baker | $78,197 | $37.59 |
| 18 | David Evans and Associates | $77,751 | $37.38 |
| 19 | AECOM | $77,423 | $37.22 |
| 20 | HNTB | $76,788 | $36.92 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Drainage engineer salary trends
The average drainage engineer salary has risen by $9,593 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average drainage engineer earned $70,720 annually, but today, they earn $80,313 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for drainage engineers over the last decade.
Compare drainage engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average drainage engineer salary over time
Compare drainage engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Drainage engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $80,300 | $38.61 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | $78,900 | $37.95 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $78,600 | $37.77 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $76,900 | $36.96 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $75,800 | $36.42 | +1.6% |
Recently added drainage engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons | Drainage Engineer | Raleigh, NC | 06/30/2025 | $62,300 |
| Parsons Corporation | Civil Drainage Engineer-Transportation Infrastructure | Centreville, VA | 06/28/2025 | $62,300 |
| State of Florida | Drainage Engineer II | Miami, FL | 06/27/2025 | $81,073 |
| Aecom | Hydraulics and Drainage Engineer | Detroit, MI | 06/26/2025 | $75,000 |
| Nextwave Resources | Senior Drainage Engineer | West Palm Beach, FL | 06/25/2025 | $140,000 |
| Actalent | Drainage Engineer | Tampa, FL | 06/25/2025 | $73,045 |
| Parsons | Drainage Engineer-Transportation Infrastructure | Atlanta, GA | 06/20/2025 | $62,300 |
| Parsons | Senior Drainage Engineer-Transportation Infrastructure | Chicago, IL | 06/20/2025 | $86,700 |
| Stantec Inc. | Drainage Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/17/2025 | $102,100 |
| Parsons Commercial Technology Group Inc. | Supervising Drainage Engineer-Transportation Infrastructure | Seattle, WA | 06/12/2025 | $108,700 |
Drainage engineer salary FAQs
Search for drainage engineer jobs