Civil Engineers salary in Virginia Beach, VA
Median pay for civil engineers in Virginia Beach, VA: $80,400/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $56,890 – $129,690 · about 2,280 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($88,630) by −$8,230 (-9%).
What it's really worth in Virginia Beach
With Virginia Beach's cost of living at 98 (US=100), that $80,400 has the buying power of about $82,274 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $77,082 · median home $373,678 · median rent $1,862/mo.
How Virginia Beach ranks for this job
On raw pay, Virginia Beach, VA is 152nd of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Virginia Beach's cost of living is applied, it ranks 170th.
Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Virginia Beach sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.
What that salary buys in Virginia Beach
A median home in Virginia Beach, VA costs $373,678 — about 4.6× 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 $1,862/mo works out at 28% 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 Virginia Beach.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $125,760 | +56% | 1.2× |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,670 | +53% | 1.7× |
| San Jose, CA | $119,430 | +49% | 1.9× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $110,110 | +37% | 0.7× |
Same job elsewhere in VA
| Metro | Median pay | vs Virginia Beach | Rent vs Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond, VA | $84,360 | +5% | 0.9× |
| Roanoke, VA | $80,670 | +0% | 0.8× |
| Lynchburg, VA | $76,750 | −5% | 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 Virginia Beach
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Navy · Government
Other jobs in Virginia Beach
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.