Civil Engineers salary in Richmond, VA

Median pay for civil engineers in Richmond, VA: $84,360/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $62,630 – $134,160 · about 2,090 employed locally

Below the typical metro median ($88,630) by −$4,270 (-5%).

What it's really worth in Richmond

With Richmond's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $84,360 has the buying power of about $85,787 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $80,877 · median home $397,705 · median rent $1,763/mo.

Full Richmond cost of living & taxes →

How Richmond ranks for this job

On raw pay, Richmond, VA is 118th of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Richmond's cost of living is applied, it ranks 149th.

The headline number flatters Richmond. 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 Richmond

A median home in Richmond, VA costs $397,705 — about 4.7× 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 $1,763/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 Richmond.

Metro	Median pay	vs Richmond	Rent vs Richmond
Sacramento, CA	$125,760	+49%	1.3×
San Francisco, CA	$122,670	+45%	1.8×
San Jose, CA	$119,430	+42%	2.1×
Baton Rouge, LA	$110,110	+31%	0.8×

Same job elsewhere in VA

Metro	Median pay	vs Richmond	Rent vs Richmond
Roanoke, VA	$80,670	−4%	0.8×
Virginia Beach, VA	$80,400	−5%	1.1×
Lynchburg, VA	$76,750	−9%	0.7×

Staying in VA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires civil engineers around Richmond

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

• Dominion Energy · Energy

Other jobs in Richmond