Civil Engineer Hourly Pay (2026): How Much Do PEs Make Per Hour?
The median civil engineer hourly pay is $49.76 per hour in 2026, equivalent to $103,492 annually. Civil PE hourly rates range from public works staff up to $65.80 in Sunnyvale, CA — driven by AECOM / Jacobs / Bechtel senior principal premium, California SE structural license, IIJA / CHIPS megaproject demand, and 1099 PE consulting rates.
2019 BLS
$41.86/hr
2025 BLS
$48.48/hr
2026 Current Est.
$49.76/hr
2019–2027 Growth
+22.0%
National Civil Engineer Hourly Rate Trend
2019–2025: BLS OEWS actual data. 2026+: CAGR 2.63% projection.
| Year | Median Hourly Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $41.86/hr | Actual |
| 2020 | $42.58/hr | Actual |
| 2021 | $42.33/hr | Actual |
| 2022 | $43.24/hr | Actual |
| 2023 | $46.10/hr | Actual |
| 2024 | $47.88/hr | Actual |
| 2025 | $48.48/hr | Actual |
| 2026(current) | $49.76/hr | Estimated |
| 2027 | $51.06/hr | Projected |
The national median hourly rate for civil engineers has grown steadily over the past 7 years of BLS data, reflecting strong demand for civil engineering services. At the current 2.63% CAGR, hourly rates are projected to continue rising through 2027.
Note: BLS actual data is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. Estimated and projected values are calculated using a 2.63% historical CAGR. Actual compensation may vary based on employer, experience, certifications, and local market conditions.
Civil Engineer Salary Per Hour by State
Hourly rates for civil engineers vary widely by state. Western and Northeastern states consistently top the rankings, while Southeastern states tend to fall below the national median of $49.76/hour.
| # | State | Avg Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $58.11 |
| 2 | Washington | $56.28 |
| 3 | Alaska | $55.42 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $52.45 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $52.44 |
| 6 | Oregon | $52.27 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $52.06 |
| 8 | New York | $52.01 |
| 9 | Nevada | $51.74 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $51.29 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $51.15 |
| 12 | Kentucky | $50.59 |
| 13 | Colorado | $50.50 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $50.40 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $50.22 |
| 16 | Maryland | $49.80 |
| 17 | Alabama | $49.77 |
| 18 | Illinois | $49.24 |
| 19 | Delaware | $49.10 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $49.10 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $49.09 |
| 22 | South Dakota | $49.03 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $48.99 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $48.97 |
| 25 | Maine | $48.77 |
| 26 | Oklahoma | $48.74 |
| 27 | Vermont | $48.54 |
| 28 | Pennsylvania | $48.45 |
| 29 | Idaho | $48.42 |
| 30 | Indiana | $48.22 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $47.99 |
| 32 | South Carolina | $47.99 |
| 33 | Ohio | $47.80 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $47.55 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $47.53 |
| 36 | Texas | $47.42 |
| 37 | Iowa | $47.41 |
| 38 | Utah | $46.93 |
| 39 | Missouri | $46.89 |
| 40 | Wisconsin | $46.87 |
| 41 | Florida | $46.35 |
| 42 | Virginia | $46.02 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $45.99 |
| 44 | Michigan | $45.85 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $45.29 |
| 46 | Montana | $45.25 |
| 47 | Georgia | $44.70 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $44.58 |
| 49 | Kansas | $44.57 |
| 50 | Arizona | $44.18 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $41.71 |
| 52 | Puerto Rico | $29.73 |
How Much Do Civil Engineers Make Per Hour? Top 20 Cities
These 20 metro areas offer the highest hourly rates for civil engineers in the United States. Rates reflect the median hourly wage reported by BLS, or estimated from annual salary data.
| # | City | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunnyvale, CA | $65.80 |
| 2 | Oakland, CA | $65.68 |
| 3 | Santa Clara, CA | $65.35 |
| 4 | Folsom, CA | $64.66 |
| 5 | San Jose, CA | $64.29 |
| 6 | Fremont, CA | $64.24 |
| 7 | San Francisco, CA | $64.23 |
| 8 | Sacramento, CA | $64.22 |
| 9 | Roseville, CA | $63.95 |
| 10 | Mankato, MN | $63.27 |
| 11 | Honolulu, HI | $63.16 |
| 12 | Redding, CA | $62.17 |
| 13 | Richland, WA | $61.14 |
| 14 | Napa, CA | $60.91 |
| 15 | Walla Walla, WA | $60.71 |
| 16 | Vallejo, CA | $60.45 |
| 17 | Salinas, CA | $60.27 |
| 18 | Santa Ana, CA | $60.18 |
| 19 | Kennewick, WA | $59.88 |
| 20 | Yuba City, CA | $59.21 |
Civil Engineer Hourly Rate: AE Firm Staff, State DOT, Principal, and 1099 PE Pay
Civil engineer compensation varies by employer type (AE consulting firm vs state DOT vs federal vs private development vs 1099 PE consulting), specialty (transportation vs water resources vs structural vs geotechnical), and career stage (EI vs PE vs senior principal). Senior principals at large AE firms reach $200K+ effective with bonus.
Staff civil engineer hourly equivalent — at $49.76/hour median (annualized from $103,492 at 2,080 hours).
Senior principal at large AE firm (top tier) — AECOM, Jacobs, Bechtel, Stantec, WSP, HDR, Kiewit, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell, CDM Smith, HNTB, Parsons, Brown and Caldwell, Mott MacDonald, Arcadis, Fluor. Principal / division chief $200,000–$350,000+ annually.
1099 PE consulting — established PE consultants bill $120–$220+/hour direct. Strong demand for transportation, structural, water resources, environmental specialty.
Senior state DOT chief engineer — Caltrans, TxDOT, FDOT, PennDOT, NYSDOT, ODOT, NJDOT. Strong state pension.
Senior federal civil engineer (USACE, FHWA, Bureau of Reclamation) — federal pension and PSLF. GS-13/14/15 with locality pay.
California SE structural engineer license — California requires separate SE license for designated structural projects. Strong premium. Illinois (Chicago), Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Hawaii, Arizona also have separate SE.
IIJA / CHIPS megaproject staff — civil engineers on Intel (OH, AZ, NM), TSMC (AZ), Samsung (TX), Micron (NY, ID), GlobalFoundries (NY), Wolfspeed (NC), Hyundai Metaplant (GA), Ford BlueOval (TN/KY), Stellantis (IN). Strong per-diem premium.
Hyperscaler data center construction — Virginia (NoVA), TX, IA, OR, NV, AZ, GA, NC, OH, WA. AWS, Microsoft, Meta, Google data center civil engineering.
Private development civil engineer — developer-employed at large land development firms (KB Home, Lennar, D.R. Horton).
| Schedule | Weekly | Monthly | Annual (50 wks) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days/week (24 hrs) | $1,194 | $5,171 | $59,707 |
| 4 days/week (32 hrs) | $1,592 | $6,894 | $79,609 |
| Full-time (40 hrs) | $1,990 | $8,618 | $99,512 |
* Based on the national median hourly rate of $49.76. Actual earnings vary by location.
Civil Engineer Pay Per Hour vs Similar Healthcare Roles
How does civil engineer hourly pay compare to similar allied health professions? Here's a side-by-side comparison using BLS 2025 national median data:
| Occupation | Hourly |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineer ★ | $49.76 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $48.61 |
| Electrical Engineer | $54.18 |
| Architect | $45.72 |
| Construction Manager | $51.87 |
★ = Civil Engineer (2026 projected). Other roles: BLS OEWS 2025 national median wages.
Factors That Drive Civil Engineer Hourly Pay Differences
Civil engineer hourly pay varies by employer (AE firm vs state DOT vs federal vs 1099), specialty (transportation / water / structural / geotech), state SE license premium, and career stage. The national median sits at $49.76/hour, but PE hourly rates reach $65.80 in top markets like Sunnyvale, CA and exceed $100/hour for senior principals at large AE firms and 1099 PE consulting.
This guide breaks down the five biggest drivers of civil engineer hourly pay differences. Whether you're an ABET-accredited civil engineering graduate, a working EI / PE considering principal track or 1099 transition, or a chief engineer benchmarking competitive wages, the framework below is the central reference.
1. Employer: AE Firm / State DOT / Federal / Private / 1099
- Senior principal at large AE firm (top tier) — AECOM, Jacobs, Bechtel, Stantec, WSP, HDR, Kiewit, Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell. $200K–$350K+.
- 1099 PE consulting — $120–$220+/hour direct.
- Senior state DOT chief engineer — strong pension + PSLF.
- Senior federal civil engineer (USACE, FHWA, Bureau of Reclamation) — pension + PSLF.
- Specialty AE firm partner — Halff Associates, Freese and Nichols, Lockwood Andrews & Newnam, Pape-Dawson, Atkins (SNC-Lavalin).
- Mid-tier AE staff PE — established PEs at mid-tier consulting.
- Private development PE — developer-employed.
- Municipal public works engineer — city / county public works.
- EI / EIT entry-level — entry-level passing FE exam.
2. Specialty: Transportation / Water / Structural / Geotech
- Structural SE (California, IL Chicago, NV, OR, WA, UT, HI, AZ premium) — separate SE license premium.
- Transportation engineer — state DOT and major AE firm transportation practice.
- Water resources / hydraulics — water utility consulting, Bureau of Reclamation.
- Geotechnical engineer — high-seismic states (CA, WA, AK) premium.
- Environmental engineer — Brownfields, Superfund, EPA-related work.
- Coastal / port engineering — FL, NC, LA, TX, NY, SC coastal resilience.
- Heavy civil construction PE — Kiewit, Bechtel, PCL, Skanska Civil, Granite, Walsh, Lane.
3. State and Cost of Living
- California, Alaska, Washington, Hawaii, Massachusetts, NJ, NY, CT — lead nominal civil PE hourly rankings.
- Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Nevada (no state tax) — strong real take-home.
- State SE license requirement — California, Illinois (Chicago), Nevada (parts), Oregon, Washington, Utah, Hawaii, Arizona separate SE.
- State PE licensure — uniform NCEES PE exam. State-specific experience and ethics. 4 years engineering experience under PE supervision typical.
4. IIJA / CHIPS / IRA Megaproject Demand
- CHIPS Act semiconductor fabs — AZ (TSMC, Intel), TX (Samsung, TI), OH (Intel), NY (Micron, GlobalFoundries), OR (Intel), ID (Micron), IN (SkyWater).
- Hyperscaler data centers — VA (NoVA), TX, IA, OR, NV, AZ, GA, NC, OH, WA.
- EV megaprojects — GA (Hyundai), TN (Ford BlueOval), KY (Ford BlueOval SK), IN (Stellantis), OH (Honda/LG, GM Ultium), MI (GM Lansing), TX (Tesla).
- IIJA highway / bridge / transit — every state via formula allocations.
- IRA clean energy / transmission — transmission siting, substation construction, EV charging.
5. Experience and PE / Specialty Credentials
- EI / EIT ($60,000–$80,000 starting) — fresh ABET-accredited graduates.
- PE (year 4–7) — $80K–$120K base.
- Senior PE / project manager (year 8–12) — $110K–$160K.
- Senior principal / division chief at large AE firm — $180K–$300K+ with bonus.
- SE (Structural Engineer) — separate license premium in CA, IL, NV, OR, WA, UT, HI, AZ.
- ASCE specialty credentials — DGE (Geotechnical), DWRE (Water Resources), D.CE (Coastal / Ocean / Port).
- 1099 consulting PE — established with strong specialty.
2026 Civil Engineer Hourly Pay Outlook
Civil engineer pay has grown at a compound annual rate of 2.63% nationally over the past five years — driven by massive IIJA infrastructure investment ($1.2 trillion over five years), ongoing CHIPS Act semiconductor fab construction (Arizona, Texas, Ohio, New York, Oregon, Idaho, Indiana), IRA-driven clean energy and transmission, sustained population-growth-driven land development in Sun Belt states (TX, FL, AZ, NC, TN, GA), growing coastal resilience demand (FL, NC, LA, TX, VA), and structural civil engineer shortage relative to project pipeline. The BLS projects civil engineer employment growth at 6% through 2033, with strong upward pay pressure especially for SE-licensed senior engineers, 1099 consulting PEs, and megaproject construction managers.
States with heavy CHIPS Act fab construction (Arizona, Texas, Ohio, New York, Oregon, Idaho, Indiana), states with rapid Sun Belt population growth, and no-tax states are seeing the fastest state-level pay growth through 2026. PE-licensed civil engineers with megaproject experience plus SE structural license premium plus IRA / clean energy specialty positioning will see the strongest hourly pay growth.
More Salary Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
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Written by Jordan Chen, P.E.
Career Analyst
Jordan Chen has 10 years of experience in structural engineering. He works primarily in urban infrastructure projects.
Data Sources & Methodology
Source: BLS, OEWS , released .
Compiled and verified by Jordan Chen, P.E., a licensed civil engineer with 10+ years of clinical experience. · View source data at BLS.gov
Methodology & Data Source
Salary figures on this page are 2026 projections based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2026 release. We applied a 2.63% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), derived from 6-year national BLS trends, to estimate current 2026 compensation.