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The average salary for a structures engineer in the United States is approximately $73,391 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific sector of employment. Entry-level positions may start around $60,000, while experienced engineers can earn upwards of $90,000 or more, particularly in metropolitan areas with high demand.
Structures engineers can find better-paying opportunities in states such as California, Texas, and New York. Cities like San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle regularly offer the highest salaries in the field. Additionally, specialized roles in construction management or consulting can lead to increased earnings.
Experience plays a crucial role in determining salary levels. Those with advanced degrees or certifications often command higher salaries. Furthermore, engineers who work on large-scale projects or for top-tier firms may also see significant financial rewards. As the industry evolves, ongoing education and skill enhancement can provide pathways to higher compensation.
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The highest-paying states for structures engineers are California, Alaska, and Oregon. The lowest average structures engineer salary states are Arkansas, Kansas, and South Dakota.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $81,743 | $39.30 |
| 2 | Alaska | $82,685 | $39.75 |
| 3 | California | $90,512 | $43.52 |
| 4 | Maine | $76,493 | $36.78 |
| 5 | Washington | $77,976 | $37.49 |
| 6 | Colorado | $77,294 | $37.16 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | $78,902 | $37.93 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $79,928 | $38.43 |
| 9 | Louisiana | $75,426 | $36.26 |
| 10 | Delaware | $73,446 | $35.31 |
| 11 | Nevada | $74,203 | $35.67 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $72,347 | $34.78 |
| 13 | Virginia | $72,785 | $34.99 |
| 14 | Vermont | $72,634 | $34.92 |
| 15 | Alabama | $69,957 | $33.63 |
| 16 | Idaho | $70,865 | $34.07 |
| 17 | South Carolina | $72,205 | $34.71 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $73,991 | $35.57 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $73,776 | $35.47 |
| 20 | Michigan | $69,930 | $33.62 |
| 21 | Mississippi | $72,150 | $34.69 |
| 22 | North Carolina | $70,675 | $33.98 |
| 23 | New York | $75,536 | $36.32 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $76,675 | $36.86 |
| 25 | Texas | $69,900 | $33.61 |
| 26 | District of Columbia | $70,238 | $33.77 |
| 27 | Illinois | $71,674 | $34.46 |
| 28 | Tennessee | $69,895 | $33.60 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $69,669 | $33.49 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $68,594 | $32.98 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $70,832 | $34.05 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $67,618 | $32.51 |
| 33 | Indiana | $67,108 | $32.26 |
| 34 | Iowa | $67,539 | $32.47 |
| 35 | Utah | $67,006 | $32.21 |
| 36 | Arizona | $67,006 | $32.21 |
| 37 | West Virginia | $67,108 | $32.26 |
| 38 | Rhode Island | $70,192 | $33.75 |
| 39 | Maryland | $66,107 | $31.78 |
| 40 | Florida | $65,707 | $31.59 |
| 41 | New Hampshire | $68,434 | $32.90 |
| 42 | Missouri | $68,154 | $32.77 |
| 43 | Montana | $61,524 | $29.58 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $66,959 | $32.19 |
| 45 | Georgia | $62,985 | $30.28 |
| 46 | Ohio | $64,263 | $30.90 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $65,094 | $31.30 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $57,792 | $27.78 |
| 49 | South Dakota | $63,663 | $30.61 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $64,029 | $30.78 |
| 51 | Kansas | $63,960 | $30.75 |
The highest-paying cities for structures engineers are San Francisco, CA, Portland, OR, and Richmond, KY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $97,477 | $46.86 |
| 2 | Portland, OR | $81,304 | $39.09 |
| 3 | Richmond, KY | $80,130 | $38.52 |
| 4 | Tulsa, OK | $78,655 | $37.81 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $78,441 | $37.71 |
| 6 | Englewood, CO | $77,323 | $37.17 |
| 7 | Portland, ME | $76,699 | $36.87 |
| 8 | Baton Rouge, LA | $75,586 | $36.34 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $75,574 | $36.33 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $74,051 | $35.60 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $73,371 | $35.27 |
| 12 | Reston, VA | $73,009 | $35.10 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $72,602 | $34.90 |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $71,798 | $34.52 |
| 15 | Duluth, MN | $71,251 | $34.26 |
| 16 | Raleigh, NC | $70,894 | $34.08 |
| 17 | Washington, DC | $70,209 | $33.75 |
| 18 | Mobile, AL | $70,137 | $33.72 |
| 19 | Fort Worth, TX | $70,113 | $33.71 |
| 20 | Troy, MI | $70,009 | $33.66 |
A structures engineer's salary ranges from $54,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $73,391 | $6,116 | $35 |
| 25th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
| 10th Percentile | $54,000 | $4,500 | $26 |
The highest paying types of structures 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 |
| Civil Engineering Internship | $52,597 | $4,383 | $25.29 | 109,733 |
| Civil Engineer | $70,950 | $5,912 | $34.11 | 26,803 |
| Geotechnical Engineer | $74,831 | $6,236 | $35.98 | 15,062 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Professional Engineer | $86,348 | $7,196 | $41.51 | 74,009 |
Top companies hiring structures engineers now:
Structures engineer salaries at Apple and Luxe are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average structures engineer salary at companies like Joby Aviation and Cirrus Aircraft are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $129,164 | $62.10 |
| 2 | Luxe | $124,691 | $59.95 |
| 3 | Joby Aviation | $114,062 | $54.84 |
| 4 | Cirrus Aircraft | $111,866 | $53.78 |
| 5 | Katerra | $110,842 | $53.29 |
| 6 | American Tower | $110,156 | $52.96 |
| 7 | Amazon | $106,771 | $51.33 |
| 8 | VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc. | $102,274 | $49.17 |
| 9 | Rivian | $100,846 | $48.48 |
| 10 | Chevron | $100,543 | $48.34 |
| 11 | Hamilton Sundstrand | $100,001 | $48.08 |
| 12 | Bell Flight | $98,910 | $47.55 |
| 13 | General Motors | $98,318 | $47.27 |
| 14 | Koch Industries | $97,052 | $46.66 |
| 15 | Nabors Industries | $96,134 | $46.22 |
| 16 | Ford Motor | $95,608 | $45.97 |
| 17 | Dell | $95,083 | $45.71 |
| 18 | Navistar | $94,731 | $45.54 |
| 19 | Tesla | $94,607 | $45.48 |
| 20 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $94,352 | $45.36 |
The average structures engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | $81,360 | $39.12 |
| 2 | Energy | $81,117 | $39.00 |
| 3 | Technology | $79,648 | $38.29 |
| 4 | Construction | $75,233 | $36.17 |
| 5 | Professional | $74,200 | $35.67 |
| 6 | Government | $72,196 | $34.71 |
The average structures engineer salary has risen by $8,767 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average structures engineer earned $64,624 annually, but today, they earn $73,391 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for structures engineers over the last decade.
Compare structures engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare structures engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $73,400 | $35.28 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | $72,100 | $34.68 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $71,800 | $34.52 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $70,200 | $33.77 | +1.5% |
| 2021 | $69,200 | $33.28 | +1.6% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EFI Global | Forensic Structural Engineer, P.E. | Minneapolis, MN | 06/30/2025 | $110,000 |
| EFI Global | Forensic Structural Engineer, P.E. | Denver, CO | 06/30/2025 | $95,000 |
| EFI Global | Forensic Structural Engineer, P.E. | Portland, OR | 06/30/2025 | $115,000 |
| EFI Global | Structural Engineer, EIT | Philadelphia, PA | 06/30/2025 | $60,000 |
| Martin/Martin | Engineer In Training I/II-Structural | San Francisco, CA | 06/30/2025 | $87,000 |
| Barr Systems | Structural Engineer-Mid Level (Hybrid) | Salt Lake City, UT | 06/30/2025 | $92,700 |
| Blue Origin | Structural Engineer II-New Glenn | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $96,310 |
| Exponent | Mechanical/Structural Engineer (PH.D.) | Menlo Park, CA | 06/29/2025 | $131,000 |
| Gannett Fleming | Structural Engineer | Phoenix, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $87,000 |
| Relativity | Launch Structural Engineer II | Cape Canaveral, FL | 06/29/2025 | $112,000 |
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