Civil Engineering degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in civil engineering earn a median $85,097 four years after finishing, across 233 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in civil engineering earn $86,763, $24,714 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is civil engineers (39%).
Median across 233 colleges; middle half $81,201–$89,653.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $67,032–$109,145. 4,432 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Civil Engineering"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$51,125/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs civil engineering graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in civil engineering actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 39% | $100,840 | +6.4% | Bachelor's degree | RIC |
| Construction Managers | 9% | $114,990 | +9.1% | Bachelor's degree | ECR |
| Other Engineers | 8% | — | — | — | — |
| Project Management Specialists | 3% | $102,320 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Other Managers | 2% | — | — | — | — |
| Software Developers | 1% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Cost Estimators | 1% | $78,740 | -3.1% | Bachelor's degree | CE |
| Other Designers | 1% | — | — | — | — |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Who tends to enjoy this work
The jobs these graduates hold score highest on Realistic, Conventional, Investigative interests (O*NET), weighted by how many graduates hold each job. A rough guide to fit, not a test.
O*NET 31.0 interest scores (1-7) for each job, weighted by Census share of graduates; EducationGuide calculation.
Civil Engineering earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $78,858 (5) | — |
| Arizona | $89,233 (3) | — |
| California | $95,865 (21) | $93,844 (680) |
| Colorado | $93,226 (4) | $88,327 (167) |
| Connecticut | $87,883 (8) | — |
| Florida | $84,778 (9) | $77,561 (248) |
| Georgia | $84,072 (4) | $81,555 (120) |
| Illinois | $84,885 (6) | $87,985 (128) |
| Indiana | $84,514 (7) | — |
| Kentucky | $80,681 (3) | — |
| Louisiana | $81,114 (6) | — |
| Massachusetts | $88,924 (9) | $91,372 (138) |
| Michigan | $83,999 (6) | — |
| Minnesota | $79,485 (3) | — |
| Missouri | $84,368 (4) | — |
| New Jersey | $87,557 (5) | $88,327 (153) |
| New York | $90,119 (12) | $90,686 (230) |
| North Carolina | $83,289 (3) | $91,651 (137) |
| Ohio | $81,019 (15) | $81,220 (161) |
| Oregon | $89,448 (5) | — |
| Pennsylvania | $81,403 (14) | $87,312 (177) |
| South Carolina | $84,148 (3) | — |
| Tennessee | $80,958 (5) | — |
| Texas | $85,505 (14) | $89,493 (415) |
| Utah | $85,097 (3) | — |
| Virginia | $88,142 (5) | $91,372 (151) |
| Washington | $89,410 (6) | $94,961 (133) |
| Wisconsin | $87,691 (5) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where civil engineering graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 12 in Florida, 6 in Virginia, 23 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $108,548 | $14,392 |
| 2 | University of Southern CaliforniaCA | $106,308 | $8,125 |
| 3 | Santa Clara UniversityCA | $105,594 | — |
| 4 | Loyola Marymount UniversityCA | $103,223 | $27,000 |
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $101,072 | $20,424 |
| 6 | California State Polytechnic University-PomonaCA | $97,790 | $16,500 |
| 7 | California State University-NorthridgeCA | $97,123 | $18,732 |
| 8 | University of California-Los AngelesCA | $97,092 | $19,444 |
| 9 | University of California-IrvineCA | $96,354 | $19,700 |
| 10 | University of California-DavisCA | $95,939 | $16,101 |
| 11 | San Diego State UniversityCA | $95,865 | $19,832 |
| 12 | California State University-FullertonCA | $95,854 | $13,548 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Civil Engineering degree questions
How much do Civil Engineering graduates make?
Civil Engineering graduates earn a median $85,097 four years after finishing, across 233 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $81,201 to $89,653; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in civil engineering, the median is $86,763 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Civil Engineering degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in civil engineering earn a median $86,763: $24,714 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $51,125 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Civil Engineering graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in civil engineering, the most common jobs are civil engineers (39%), construction managers (9%), other engineers (8%). Civil Engineers earn a U.S. median $100,840.
How much do Civil Engineering graduates earn in Florida?
Across 9 Florida colleges reporting, Civil Engineering graduates earn a median $84,778 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $77,561.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Civil Engineering degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/civil-engineering.