Civil Engineers salary in Cedar Rapids, IA
Median pay for civil engineers in Cedar Rapids, IA: $94,170/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $62,050 – $132,870 · about 320 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($88,630) by +$5,540 (+6%).
What it's really worth in Cedar Rapids
With Cedar Rapids's cost of living at 90 (US=100), that $94,170 has the buying power of about $104,650 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $75,477 · median home $244,344 · median rent $1,234/mo.
How Cedar Rapids ranks for this job
On raw pay, Cedar Rapids, IA is 63rd of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Cedar Rapids's cost of living is applied, it ranks 19th.
Pay here goes further than the headline number suggests — Cedar Rapids is one of the places where civil engineers gain ground in real terms, because local costs are low relative to what the job pays.
What that salary buys in Cedar Rapids
A median home in Cedar Rapids, IA costs $244,344 — about 2.6× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,234/mo works out at 16% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.
Where civil engineers earn more
Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Cedar Rapids.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $125,760 | +34% | 1.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,670 | +30% | 2.6× |
| San Jose, CA | $119,430 | +27% | 2.9× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $110,110 | +17% | 1.1× |
Same job elsewhere in IA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Cedar Rapids | Rent vs Cedar Rapids |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines, IA | $98,550 | +5% | 1× |
| Davenport, IA | $89,650 | −5% | 0.8× |
Staying in IA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires civil engineers around Cedar Rapids
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Archer Daniels Midland · Manufacturing
- General Mills · Manufacturing
- Quaker Oats · Manufacturing
Other jobs in Cedar Rapids
Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.