Chief Structural Engineer

Chief Structural Engineer Salary

$50K

$95.5K

$152.5K

$99,400

/year

$47.79

/hour

Chief Structural Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$99,400

Columbus

Ohio

$96,010

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    How much does a Chief Structural Engineer make?

    As of May 28, 2026, the average annual pay for a Chief Structural Engineer in the United States is $99,400 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $47.79 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,911/week or $8,283/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $152,500 and as low as $50,000, the majority of Chief Structural Engineer salaries currently range between $80,000 (25th percentile) to $113,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $134,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Chief Structural Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 33000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Chief Structural Engineer in your area makes on average $96,010 per year, or $3,390 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $99,400. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Chief Structural Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Chief Structural Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Chief Structural Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Chief Structural Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Chief Structural Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Surry, VA, , with Barrow, AK, and Berkeley, CA, close behind in the second and third positions. Berkeley, CA, beats the national average by $22,309 (22.4%), and Surry, VA, furthers that trend with another $43,560 (43.8%) above the $99,400 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Chief Structural Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 20% between Surry, VA, and Livermore, CA, , suggesting it may be difficult to see much positive wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may help determine the balance between location and salary for a Chief Structural Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Surry, VA

    $142,960

    $68.73

    Barrow, AK

    $123,830

    $59.53

    Berkeley, CA

    $121,709

    $58.51

    Sitka, AK

    $119,745

    $57.57

    Wyoming, WY

    $118,547

    $56.99

    Berlin Corners, VT

    $118,426

    $56.94

    San Francisco, CA

    $117,110

    $56.30

    Santa Clara, CA

    $116,739

    $56.12

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $116,661

    $56.09

    Livermore, CA

    $116,595

    $56.06

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Chief Structural Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Chief Structural Engineer job category, we found that Software Development Engineer In Test jobs have average salaries greater than Chief Structural Engineer jobs.

    Significantly, Software Development Engineer In Test jobs pay $14,506 (14.6%) more than the average Chief Structural Engineer salary of $99,400. If you're qualified, finding work as a Software Development Engineer In Test may help you make more money than that of the average Chief Structural Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Software Development Engineer In Test

    $113,906

    $54.76

    Subsurface Engineer

    $89,183

    $42.88

    Junior Geologist

    $77,030

    $37.03

    Multi Skilled Maintenance Engineer

    $54,481

    $26.19

    Below Deck Crew

    $44,261

    $21.28

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Chief Structural Engineer salary across the United States as of May 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $99,400 per year or $47.79 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.