Civil Engineers salary in Phoenix, AZ
Median pay for civil engineers in Phoenix, AZ: $84,360/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $64,490 – $131,020 · about 5,090 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($88,630) by −$4,270 (-5%).
What it's really worth in Phoenix
With Phoenix's cost of living at 105 (US=100), that $84,360 has the buying power of about $80,592 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $79,935 · median home $448,352 · median rent $1,742/mo.
How Phoenix ranks for this job
On raw pay, Phoenix, AZ is 118th of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Phoenix's cost of living is applied, it ranks 173rd.
The headline number flatters Phoenix. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, civil engineers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Phoenix
A median home in Phoenix, AZ costs $448,352 — about 5.3× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is harder here than in the average metro on this income.
Median rent of $1,742/mo works out at 25% 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 Phoenix.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Phoenix | Rent vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $125,760 | +49% | 1.3× |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,670 | +45% | 1.9× |
| San Jose, CA | $119,430 | +42% | 2.1× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $110,110 | +31% | 0.8× |
Same job elsewhere in AZ
| Metro | Median pay | vs Phoenix | Rent vs Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | $86,070 | +2% | 0.8× |
Staying in AZ keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Other jobs in Phoenix
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.