Civil Engineers salary in Washington, DC
Median pay for civil engineers in Washington, DC: $96,200/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $68,530 – $145,600 · about 7,800 employed locally
Above the typical metro median ($88,630) by +$7,570 (+9%).
What it's really worth in Washington
With Washington's cost of living at 110 (US=100), that $96,200 has the buying power of about $87,819 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $119,803 · median home $583,013 · median rent $2,416/mo.
How Washington ranks for this job
On raw pay, Washington, DC is 53rd of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Washington's cost of living is applied, it ranks 130th.
The headline number flatters Washington. 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 Washington
A median home in Washington, DC costs $583,013 — about 6.1× 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 $2,416/mo works out at 30% 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 Washington.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Washington | Rent vs Washington |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $125,760 | +31% | 0.9× |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,670 | +28% | 1.3× |
| San Jose, CA | $119,430 | +24% | 1.5× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $110,110 | +14% | 0.6× |
Who hires civil engineers around Washington
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- U.S. Department of Defense · Government
Other jobs in Washington
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.