Best states for a senior civil engineer

Q: What is the best state for senior civil engineers?

The best state to be a senior civil engineer is California based on senior civil engineer salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for senior civil engineers?

The highest paying state for senior civil engineers is Arkansas based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for senior civil engineers?

The worst state for senior civil engineers is Arkansas, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.

Rank 1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 51

Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to senior civil engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that California is the best state for senior civil engineers, while California and Alaska are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $108,273 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for senior civil engineers.

The median salary for senior civil engineers in California is $108,273. Compare that to the median salary in Arkansas of $58,942, which ranked worst for senior civil engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that the Midwest is best for senior civil engineers, and the West is the worst. San Rafael, CA is the best city in the country for senior civil engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.

10 best states for senior civil engineers in 2025

1. California
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 3,782
Average annual salary: $108,273
Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000
Location Quotient:
1.55
Senior civil engineer jobs in California
2. Washington
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 974
Average annual salary: $88,660
Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $122,000
Location Quotient:
1.6
Senior civil engineer jobs in Washington
3. Alaska
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 87
Average annual salary: $90,128
Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $112,000
Location Quotient:
1.25
Senior civil engineer jobs in Alaska
4. Oregon
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 562
Average annual salary: $84,385
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000
Location Quotient:
1.63
Senior civil engineer jobs in Oregon
5. Virginia
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 1,353
Average annual salary: $85,268
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000
Location Quotient:
1.72
Senior civil engineer jobs in Virginia
6. New York
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 1,078
Average annual salary: $88,889
Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $121,000
Location Quotient:
1.01
Senior civil engineer jobs in New York
7. Alabama
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 304
Average annual salary: $84,487
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000
Location Quotient:
0.83
Senior civil engineer jobs in Alabama
8. Nevada
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 154
Average annual salary: $83,203
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $117,000
Location Quotient:
0.88
Senior civil engineer jobs in Nevada
9. Maine
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 100
Average annual salary: $80,884
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $108,000
Location Quotient:
0.9
Senior civil engineer jobs in Maine
10. Delaware
Total senior civil engineer jobs: 133
Average annual salary: $80,841
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000
Location Quotient:
1.27
Senior civil engineer jobs in Delaware

Senior civil engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a senior civil engineer

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a senior civil engineer

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$108,273	$77,000	39,536,653	3,782
2	Washington	$88,660	$64,000	7,405,743	974
3	Alaska	$90,128	$71,000	739,795	87
4	Oregon	$84,385	$61,000	4,142,776	562
5	Virginia	$85,268	$63,000	8,470,020	1,353
6	New York	$88,889	$65,000	19,849,399	1,078
7	Alabama	$84,487	$62,000	4,874,747	304
8	Nevada	$83,203	$59,000	2,998,039	154
9	Maine	$80,884	$60,000	1,335,907	100
10	Delaware	$80,841	$59,000	961,939	133
11	Vermont	$79,896	$59,000	623,657	70
12	Utah	$77,857	$55,000	3,101,833	291
13	Massachusetts	$83,293	$61,000	6,859,819	751
14	Colorado	$80,909	$58,000	5,607,154	758
15	Idaho	$79,352	$56,000	1,716,943	115
16	New Jersey	$87,435	$64,000	9,005,644	453
17	Connecticut	$83,161	$61,000	3,588,184	233
18	Montana	$75,160	$54,000	1,050,493	140
19	Missouri	$79,548	$59,000	6,113,532	304
20	Texas	$74,918	$54,000	28,304,596	1,668
21	Rhode Island	$77,584	$56,000	1,059,639	81
22	Oklahoma	$76,528	$56,000	3,930,864	160
23	North Dakota	$73,227	$54,000	755,393	76
24	Minnesota	$76,012	$56,000	5,576,606	494
25	Arizona	$74,175	$53,000	7,016,270	555
26	Ohio	$72,967	$54,000	11,658,609	599
27	New Hampshire	$75,504	$55,000	1,342,795	118
28	Mississippi	$74,954	$54,000	2,984,100	98
29	Kentucky	$74,082	$55,000	4,454,189	155
30	Michigan	$71,684	$53,000	9,962,311	564
31	Illinois	$73,124	$54,000	12,802,023	865
32	Louisiana	$74,449	$53,000	4,684,333	175
33	Maryland	$72,218	$53,000	6,052,177	687
34	District of Columbia	$70,579	$52,000	693,972	283
35	West Virginia	$71,323	$53,000	1,815,857	77
36	New Mexico	$72,365	$52,000	2,088,070	112
37	Indiana	$70,336	$52,000	6,666,818	408
38	Florida	$70,612	$51,000	20,984,400	1,056
39	North Carolina	$67,668	$50,000	10,273,419	706
40	Pennsylvania	$69,625	$51,000	12,805,537	733
41	Hawaii	$60,181	$50,000	1,427,538	112
42	Wyoming	$62,217	$44,000	579,315	62
43	Nebraska	$64,019	$47,000	1,920,076	172
44	Georgia	$64,690	$48,000	10,429,379	816
45	South Carolina	$64,514	$48,000	5,024,369	269
46	South Dakota	$63,134	$46,000	869,666	65
47	Kansas	$65,950	$48,000	2,913,123	148
48	Iowa	$63,319	$46,000	3,145,711	200
49	Wisconsin	$61,805	$46,000	5,795,483	300
50	Tennessee	$61,668	$46,000	6,715,984	264
51	Arkansas	$58,942	$43,000	3,004,279	114

Highest paying states for senior civil engineers

Rank	State	Avg. Senior Civil Engineer Salary
1	California	$108,273
2	Washington	$88,660
3	Alaska	$90,128
4	Oregon	$84,385
5	Virginia	$85,268
6	New York	$88,889
7	Alabama	$84,487
8	Nevada	$83,203
9	Maine	$80,884
10	Delaware	$80,841
11	Vermont	$79,896
12	Utah	$77,857
13	Massachusetts	$83,293
14	Colorado	$80,909
15	Idaho	$79,352
16	New Jersey	$87,435
17	Connecticut	$83,161
18	Montana	$75,160
19	Missouri	$79,548
20	Texas	$74,918
21	Rhode Island	$77,584
22	Oklahoma	$76,528
23	North Dakota	$73,227
24	Minnesota	$76,012
25	Arizona	$74,175
26	Ohio	$72,967
27	New Hampshire	$75,504
28	Mississippi	$74,954
29	Kentucky	$74,082
30	Michigan	$71,684
31	Illinois	$73,124
32	Louisiana	$74,449
33	Maryland	$72,218
34	District of Columbia	$70,579
35	West Virginia	$71,323
36	New Mexico	$72,365
37	Indiana	$70,336
38	Florida	$70,612
39	North Carolina	$67,668
40	Pennsylvania	$69,625
41	Hawaii	$60,181
42	Wyoming	$62,217
43	Nebraska	$64,019
44	Georgia	$64,690
45	South Carolina	$64,514
46	South Dakota	$63,134
47	Kansas	$65,950
48	Iowa	$63,319
49	Wisconsin	$61,805
50	Tennessee	$61,668
51	Arkansas	$58,942

Expert opinions on the best states for senior civil engineers

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for senior civil engineers to find work opportunities?
Adeeba Raheem Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, University of Texas
In my opinion, career fairs are viewed as the best platform for students to get hired for entry-level jobs. They should also access campus and community resources for employment support. It is highly suggested that students should gain work-based learning experiences during their time at their academic institute. These experiences not only help them to develop their work-readiness skills but also provide significant networking opportunities. My message would be: "Don't wait until you graduate."

Senior civil engineer best states FAQs

What is the best state for senior civil engineers?

What is the highest paying state for senior civil engineers?

What is the worst state for senior civil engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

Search for senior civil engineer jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs

Total senior civil engineer jobs:	3,782
Average annual salary:	$108,273
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$77,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$152,000
Location Quotient:	1.55

Best states for a senior civil engineer

10 best states for senior civil engineers in 2025

1. California

2. Washington

3. Alaska

4. Oregon

5. Virginia

6. New York

7. Alabama

8. Nevada

9. Maine

10. Delaware