Good news for civil engineers: salaries are up, continuing a multiyear upward trend.
The average base salary for civil engineers is $152,000, according to the ASCE 2026 Civil Engineering Salary Report. That’s a jump of more than $8,000 since 2025.
The rate at which salaries are increasing has remained steady at approximately 6%. In 2025, salaries rose by $9,000 from 2024. In 2024, they were up $7,000 from the previous year.
The annual ASCE Salary Report provides a look into civil engineering salaries and job benefits. This year’s report surveyed 2,444 Society members to uncover the trends that defined civil engineering salaries over the past year.
“Civil engineering salaries are rising for several reasons,” said ASCE 2026 President Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., AICP, ENV SP, NAE, H.ITE, F.ASCE. “There is increased recognition of the value that civil engineers bring to projects. There is also a gap between the number of civil engineers needed and the number available – a shortage at almost all levels of experience.
“And I think there is also a growing recognition that using technology – even, or perhaps especially with AI – requires a knowledgeable, ethical human to both study and validate solutions.”
The growing emphasis on resilience has also had an impact.
“With the frequency and intensity of natural disasters in recent years, the problem solvers – the civil engineers – have been showcased more,” Bomar said. “Social media has helped share the stories of civil engineers in these important roles and we have been shown in an appropriate positive light.”
Along with rising salaries, engineering firms are also offering more benefits, providing additional perks that can elevate an engineer’s work experience in different ways.
While this year’s report found a positive overall outlook for civil engineers, variations across the industry remain.
“Salary gaps exist partially when information is secret,” said Bomar. “Salary surveys like the one done by ASCE tries to shine a light to help fix the problem. It also requires that those negotiating salaries get informed and present facts when demanding equity.”
Not all experience levels are reaping the rewards of the upward trend. For instance, average 2026 entry-level salaries remained similar to last year’s at just above $77,000.
Licensure remains a major determinant of one’s salary. The median income for those with a P.E. license is nearly $49,000 higher than those with no licenses or certifications. The gender pay gap has persisted – men earned nearly $30,000 higher than women in 2026 – but is smaller when licensure and years of experience are considered, especially in early career.
There are other differences across sectors. Civil engineers working in private industry defense roles reported the highest median income, at nearly $169,000. Civil engineers working in federal government defense roles trailed closely behind. State government salaries remained the lowest.
Lines of business, too, had large pay gaps. The forensic line of business had the highest median income at nearly $184,000, followed by construction at $180,000. Structural engineers had the lowest median income at $130,000. The size of an organization also plays a role. With a median primary income of $159,000, organizations with over 10,000 employees offer much higher salaries than smaller businesses. Engineers working at organizations with 1–10 employees reported a median salary of $129,000.
Salaries aren’t all a business has to offer, though. In 2026, 95.6% of employers offered health insurance benefits, a slight uptick from 2025. And organizations are modernizing their benefits. The percentages of companies providing paid ASCE membership dues, paid maternity or paternity leave, flexible working hours, and several other miscellaneous benefits have all slightly increased.
