Independent Contractor Civil Engineer

Independent Contractor Civil Engineer Salary

$38K

$81.5K

$123.5K

$82,674

/year

$39.75

/hour

Independent Contractor Civil Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$82,674

Columbus

Ohio

$79,854

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    How much does an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer make?

    As of Sep 5, 2026, the average annual pay for an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer in the United States is $82,674 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $39.75 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,589/week or $6,889/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $123,500 and as low as $38,000, the majority of Independent Contractor Civil Engineer salaries currently range between $67,500 (25th percentile) to $98,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $114,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 31000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    An Independent Contractor Civil Engineer in your area makes on average $79,854 per year, or $2,820 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $82,674. Ohio ranks number 44 out of 50 states nationwide for Independent Contractor Civil Engineer salaries.

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

    Find your next high paying job as an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Independent Contractor Civil Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Mineral, VA, , with South Windham, ME, and Tonopah, NV, close behind in the second and third positions. Tonopah, NV, beats the national average by $22,940 (27.7%), and Mineral, VA, furthers that trend with another $37,482 (45.3%) above the $82,674 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    However, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies modestly at 18% between Mineral, VA, and Sitka, AK, , 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 an Independent Contractor Civil Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Mineral, VA

    $120,156

    $57.77

    South Windham, ME

    $107,064

    $51.47

    Tonopah, NV

    $105,614

    $50.78

    Redmond, OR

    $105,445

    $50.69

    Winnemucca, NV

    $102,270

    $49.17

    Berkeley, CA

    $101,229

    $48.67

    Berlin Corners, VT

    $101,045

    $48.58

    Middleton, WI

    $100,659

    $48.39

    Des Plaines, IL

    $99,805

    $47.98

    Sitka, AK

    $99,595

    $47.88

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Independent Contractor Civil Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Independent Contractor Civil Engineer category.

    For example Energy Systems Engineer jobs pay as much as $44,541 (53.9%) more than the average Independent Contractor Civil Engineer salary of $82,674. If you're qualified, finding work as an Energy Systems Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Independent Contractor Civil Engineer position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Energy Systems Engineer

    $127,215

    $61.16

    Wireline Logging Engineer

    $111,632

    $53.67

    Trade Developer

    $105,153

    $50.55

    Senior Support Engineer

    $103,264

    $49.65

    Entry Level Electrical Design Engineer

    $86,381

    $41.53

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Independent Contractor Civil Engineer salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $82,674 per year or $39.75 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.