Civil engineering salaries continue to climb

Infrastructure money is flowing, demand for talent is high, and, according to the recently released ASCE 2023 Civil Engineering Salary Report, civil engineering salaries continue to rise.

“The current workforce crisis has created a great demand for civil engineers that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states will continue for the next decade,” said ASCE 2023 President Maria C. Lehman, P.E., ENV SP, NAC, F.ASCE.

The ASCE Salary Report is built each year from a survey of members about their salaries and job benefits. The 2023 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report takes that survey data and provides a window into compensation trends shaping the industry. This year’s report is derived from survey responses by 3,264 Society members.

The report found the median pre-tax income from all sources for civil engineers was $128,000 in 2022. Median base salaries were $124,000, up $4,000 over last year and up $16,000 since 2019.

The typical median entry-level salary was $74,000. Licensure is a game-changer for civil engineers’ salaries, too. Those with their Professional Engineers license earned a median primary income of $132,000, nearly $30,000 more than those without licenses or certifications.

“When you consider the age and condition of much of our infrastructure, along with the additional funding being brought to bear, the demand will continue,” Lehman said. “And with limited supply, salaries are already moving up pretty significantly.”

Job satisfaction in the profession continues to rate well with 86.7% of salary survey respondents saying they were either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs.

The salary report also indicated that civil engineers receive a wide range of non-salary benefits:

Learn more about how to access the entire 2023 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report, including unlimited access to searchable survey data, as well as the ASCE Salary Calculator, which allows users to assess how their salary compares with others. ASCE members get five free uses of the calculator and searchable data.