Structural Engineer I

Structural Engineer I Salary

$50K

$95.5K

$152.5K

$99,400

/year

$47.79

/hour

Structural Engineer I Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$99,400

Columbus

Ohio

$96,010

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    How much does a Structural Engineer I make?

    As of Jul 19, 2026, the average annual pay for a Structural Engineer I 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 Structural Engineer I 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 Structural Engineer I 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 Structural Engineer I 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 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Structural Engineer I salaries.

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

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

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

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Structural Engineer I job is above the national average. Topping the list is Surry, VA, , with Barrow, AK, and Nome, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Nome, AK, beats the national average by $23,905 (24.0%), 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 Structural Engineer I 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 Sunnyvale, 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 Structural Engineer I role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Surry, VA

    $142,960

    $68.73

    Barrow, AK

    $123,830

    $59.53

    Nome, AK

    $123,305

    $59.28

    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

    $117,059

    $56.28

    Santa Clara, CA

    $116,739

    $56.12

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $116,661

    $56.09

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

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Structural Engineer I category.

    For example Structural Analysis Engineer jobs pay as much as $36,079 (36.3%) more than the average Structural Engineer I salary of $99,400. If you're qualified, finding work as a Structural Analysis Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Structural Engineer I position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Structural Analysis Engineer

    $135,479

    $65.13

    Senior Structural Engineer

    $120,817

    $58.09

    Structural Engineer Project Manager

    $95,147

    $45.74

    Structural Steel Drafter

    $62,479

    $30.04

    Structural Manager

    $48,166

    $23.16

    About Our Data

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

    Infographic detailing Structural Engineer I salary across the United States as of July 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.