Civil engineering is a field that concerns itself with public infrastructure. In this career, you design, build, and improve public buildings, roadways, and other features of a city. In the public sector, you can find jobs working for a municipal, state, or federal government depending on your expertise and experience. Civil engineering in the private sector often has to do with surveying locations for new buildings, getting permits, and overseeing other aspects of expanding a business. You might also be responsible for reconciling urban growth with environmental protection. You can be a building surveyor, an urban planner, an environmental consultant, or a number of other jobs in the field of civil engineering.

Because civil engineering covers a broad range of jobs, you have a good chance of being able to find a stable job in your field. Part of this is due to the public sector continually needing the construction of infrastructure. It is almost impossible to outsource these jobs, so your skills are always in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the outlook for this career is very promising. With a predicted growth rate of 11%, now is a great time to enter the field. As a civil engineer, you’ll be responsible for a wide range of tasks, so no two days at work will be the same. If you like a job that presents new challenges and you don’t mind putting in some overtime, civil engineering is an excellent career choice.

High Paying Civil Engineering Jobs

List of the top 10 highest paying Civil Engineering positions in 2026, with salary ranges, according to ZipRecruiter.

Physical Design Engineer
Salary range: $136,000 - $140,000
The majority of Physical Design Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $136,000 (25th percentile) and $140,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Physical Design Engineer job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Civil Engineering Manager
Salary range: $98,500 - $128,000
The majority of Civil Engineering Manager salaries across the United States currently range between $98,500 (25th percentile) and $128,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Engineering Manager job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Senior Civil Engineer
Salary range: $86,000 - $128,000
The majority of Senior Civil Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $86,000 (25th percentile) and $128,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Senior Civil Engineer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Civil Estimator
Salary range: $85,000 - $125,000
A civil estimator is a construction worker whose duties are to bid on construction projects, assess project budgets, and work closely with management to determine how best to pursue a civil engineering project. These projects can include bridge building, highway construction, or rail construction. As a civil estimator, your responsibilities also include visiting sites, pulling records, and doing research on behalf of the construction company. You make reports to other members of the construction team to determine budgets, financial costs for materials and labor, and what contractors and subcontractors to use for the project.
Associate Civil Engineer
Salary range: $75,500 - $119,000
The majority of Associate Civil Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $75,500 (25th percentile) and $119,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Associate Civil Engineer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Failure Analysis Engineer
Salary range: $70,000 - $118,000
Failure analysis engineers check and identify problems associated with business processes. These errors primarily take place in electrical systems. Failure analysis engineers determine the cause of equipment failure and decide on an action plan to avoid similar issues in the future. Daily responsibilities include conducting tests on electrical systems to determine usability and life cycle, performing preventative maintenance, and conducting emergency maintenance on electrical components. Qualifications typically include a master’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, but most employers also provide on-the-job training.
Civil Project Engineer
Salary range: $85,000 - $113,500
The majority of Civil Project Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $85,000 (25th percentile) and $113,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Project Engineer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Civil Engineer Land Development
Salary range: $79,000 - $113,000
A land development civil engineer helps plan residential, commercial, industrial, or mixed-use developments. In this role, you determine the feasibility of a development project and assess the land to ensure that it can support the planned development. Once the possibility is established, you design the infrastructure, including streets, utilities, waste management, drainage, and other systems by creating drawings or using modeling software to visualize your plans. You also coordinate with other architects and engineers involved in the project. A civil engineer must ensure that infrastructure plans meet zoning requirements and do not conflict with other municipal regulations.
Drafting Supervisor
Salary range: $72,500 - $103,000
The majority of Drafting Supervisor salaries across the United States currently range between $72,500 (25th percentile) and $103,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Drafting Supervisor job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Civil Engineer
Salary range: $67,500 - $98,500
Civil engineers design and plan massive infrastructure projects, including roadways and airports. Other large-scale construction projects that they may oversee, include buildings, tunnels, bridges, dams, and sewage treatment and water supply systems. They have to assess the feasibility of plans in regards to safety concerns and financial costs, and they often work directly with regional and urban planners. Ultimately, civil engineers are charged with managing the design and implementation of the infrastructure for a project. They lead construction managers, civil engineering technicians, surveyors, and other professionals to execute their plans and ensure that projects comply with regulations. As a subset of civil engineering, geotechnical engineers investigate and analyze what lies beneath the earth’s surface.
Civil Engineering Assistant
Salary range: $68,500 - $97,500
The majority of Civil Engineering Assistant salaries across the United States currently range between $68,500 (25th percentile) and $97,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Engineering Assistant job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Civil Designer
Salary range: $67,500 - $94,000
A civil designer creates plans for the construction of municipal infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges. In this career, your duties and responsibilities revolve around using computer-aided design (CAD) software to create maps for these construction projects. You draft and scale the drawings to provide a basic outline and plan for the construction. Civil designers can operate in both commercial and residential areas, so you must be aware of municipal laws and regulations as they relate to these areas. Additionally, you work with the managers of the construction projects you design to determine the costs of the projects. You work on many different infrastructure projects, from basic road and traffic management to wastewater facilities and erosion control systems.
Civil Engineering Designer
Salary range: $67,000 - $94,000
The majority of Civil Engineering Designer salaries across the United States currently range between $67,000 (25th percentile) and $94,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Engineering Designer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Entry Level Civil Engineer
Salary range: $52,000 - $88,500
An entry-level civil engineer performs a variety of duties related to designing and constructing infrastructure or public works systems, such as public buildings, highways, bridges, sewer systems, dams, viaducts, and other large structures. As an entry-level engineer, you help draft blueprints, take surveys of building sites, perform risk analysis, map projects, and perform research into public records and other documents pertaining to the project. You may also help draw up budgets and assess the costs of projects. You typically work under the supervision of lead engineers and project managers.
Facility Designer
Salary range: $59,500 - $79,500
The majority of Facility Designer salaries across the United States currently range between $59,500 (25th percentile) and $79,500 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Facility Designer job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Graduate Civil Engineer
Salary range: $42,500 - $79,000
As a graduate civil engineer, your daily duties vary depending on where you work and whether or not you work in the private or public sector. Some of your responsibilities in this career may include designing and building infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, or water supply systems. You may be part of the development and planning team or the layout design process, or you may be responsible for the documentation of repair needs in various infrastructures, such as bridges, buildings, or tunnels.
Building Engineer
Salary range: $53,000 - $76,000
The majority of Building Engineer salaries across the United States currently range between $53,000 (25th percentile) and $76,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Building Engineer job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Civil Engineer In Training
Salary range: $63,000 - $73,000
The majority of Civil Engineer In Training salaries across the United States currently range between $63,000 (25th percentile) and $73,000 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Engineer In Training job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Civil Engineering Drafter
Salary range: $62,500 - $70,500
The majority of Civil Engineering Drafter salaries across the United States currently range between $62,500 (25th percentile) and $70,500 (75th percentile) annually. Most people working in this role make similar salaries regardless of skill level, location and years of experience. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Civil Engineering Drafter job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Engineering Inspector
Salary range: $52,000 - $70,000
The majority of Engineering Inspector salaries across the United States currently range between $52,000 (25th percentile) and $70,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Engineering Inspector job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.
Failure Analysis Technician
Salary range: $50,000 - $62,000
The majority of Failure Analysis Technician salaries across the United States currently range between $50,000 (25th percentile) and $62,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Failure Analysis Technician job market in the United States is somewhat active, with a few companies hiring.
Drawing Checker
Salary range: $49,500 - $60,000
A drawing checker reviews 3D models, concepts, and designs from engineers or drafters to ensure that they meet all technical specifications and are in compliance with national and international standards. Their duties and responsibilities include identifying technical issues and suggesting solutions. They also ensure that each drawing or draft provides a complete list of technical specifications to prevent problems during prototyping or production. The qualifications to become a drawing checker often include a technical certificate or an associate’s degree in drafting as well as experience.
Civil Drafter
Salary range: $43,000 - $58,500
A civil drafter aids in the design of civil engineering projects, such as waterways, bridges, dams, and highways. As a civil drafter, your job duties include drawing topographical or relief maps of terrain set for construction and creating reports detailing your analysis of the area. You also use technology, such as CAD software, to create the drawings. The career typically requires an associate degree in a relevant field, such as design and drafting technology, and prior work experience in civil design. Additional qualifications include experience with a variety of visualization tools, knowledge of engineering principles, and strong analytical problem-solving skills.
Civil Engineering Technician
Salary range: $42,500 - $57,500
Civil engineering technicians work on infrastructure projects including buildings, roads, highways, bridges, dams, and water treatment systems. As a civil engineering technician, you are part of the design and construction team for infrastructure projects. Your responsibilities are to collaborate with engineers, construction managers, and other professionals and to help find solutions for technical issues. Your job duties include surveying potential construction sites, taking measurements, estimating costs, and drafting design schematics. You need critical thinking, math, and excellent communication skills to work on civil engineering teams.
Drafting Technician
Salary range: $40,000 - $54,000
The majority of Drafting Technician salaries across the United States currently range between $40,000 (25th percentile) and $54,000 (75th percentile) annually. This moderate range of salaries suggests pay in this role will be consistent, regardless skill level, location and years of experience, though some advancement is possible. Based on recent job posting activity on ZipRecruiter, the Drafting Technician job market in the United States is not very active as few companies are currently hiring for this role. You can try exploring related titles to find jobs with more active opportunities.

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