There is a U.S. city whose reputation has been steadily growing in civil engineering circles this decade.
Infrastructure growth left and right. Strong talent base. Appealing climate.
“My whole family's here. To me, it's the best city there is,” said Joseph Guagliardo, P.E., CGC, M.ASCE, of his hometown. “And growing up, it felt like it was the best city that nobody had discovered.”
Well, if this particular city’s charms went largely unnoticed for a long time, consider the secret to be officially out.
The mystery city in question? Lovely, balmy Tampa, Florida.
And Tampa ranks first in ASCE’s 2026 Best Places to Be a Civil Engineer list.
This year’s Best Places list ranks American cities based on compensation data from the ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report and cost-of-living information (groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods and services) from the Council for Community and Economic Research.
Tampa ranked first in average civil engineering salary among the 43 cities considered for the list; and 14th in cost of living.
“I think people are starting to realize it,” said Guagliardo, born and raised in Tampa and now vice president of construction and engineering for Belt Engineering as well as president of the ASCE West Coast Branch.
“The word has gotten out. People come down to Tampa to vacation, and then they want to move down here. And once they do move here, it's almost always glowing reviews, so then friends and family from other parts of the country want to follow them down to the Tampa Bay area. So I think the word is out and it’s going to continue to grow.”
There’s no question work-from-home trends post-COVID have driven significant migration. If your job allows you to work from the beach, you probably are going to work from the beach, right?
Tampa also sits in close proximity to several of the largest universities in the country – the University of Florida in Gainesville, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and right in Uptown Tampa, the University of South Florida – providing a vibrant student community and a robust talent pipeline.
Natalie Snead, E.I., M.ASCE, is a good example. She grew up in Orlando and went to college at UCF. After graduation, she came to Tampa three years ago and now works as a drainage engineer for DRMP. She has also helped build a thriving younger member group as ASCE West Coast Branch YMG president.
“Tampa is constantly growing. Ever since I came here, it's gotten busier and busier, so the work is always going to be there,” Snead said. “The social life is good. There's a lot to do downtown; we have New Tampa; the Riverwalk is a big attraction; Bayshore Boulevard, and the beaches too. I would say Tampa feels like my home now.”
Engineering-wise, the affordability and opportunity balance is very good right now in Tampa. Judian Duran, P.E., M.ASCE, vice-president of ASCE’s West Coast Branch, saw so much opportunity around him, he recently started his own firm, Duran Structural.
“I saw the opportunity and I took it,” said Duran, who has lived in Tampa for two decades and practiced as a structural engineer for 13 years. “It’s not just the new construction, but Tampa also has a lot of structural restoration, even more so after the hurricane [Milton in 2024].
“Over the last five or six years, things have grown so much. There’s still plenty of room. So I think Tampa and the surrounding areas will just continue growing.”
Here is the top 10 list of ASCE’s Best Places to Be a Civil Engineer for 2026:
10. Dallas
Salary survey ranking: 17th
Cost of living ranking: 21st
Last year's overall ranking: 14th
9. Nashville
Salary survey ranking: 19th
Cost of living ranking: 16th
Last year's overall ranking: 25th
8. Omaha
Salary survey ranking: 30th
Cost of living ranking: 4th
Last year's overall ranking: 2nd
7. New Orleans
Salary survey ranking: 10th
Cost of living ranking: 28th
Last year's overall ranking: 12th
6. Austin
Salary survey ranking: 18th
Cost of living ranking: 13th
Last year's overall ranking: 6th
5. Columbus
Salary survey ranking: 21st
Cost of living ranking: 8th
Last year's overall ranking: 10th
4. Kansas City
Salary survey ranking: 26th
Cost of living ranking: 2nd
Last year's overall ranking: 9th
3. Detroit
Salary survey ranking: 6th
Cost of living ranking: 22nd
Last year's overall ranking: 17th
2. Houston
Salary survey ranking: 5th
Cost of living ranking: 7th
Last year's overall ranking: 1st
1. Tampa
Salary survey ranking: 1st
Cost of living ranking: 14th
Last year's overall ranking: 11th
