Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $122,500 | $102,499 | +20% |
| Median hourly wage | $58.89 | $49.28 | +20% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $110,659.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $148,630 | $100,750 | $193,750 | 244 |
| Oakland | $134,246 | $91,000 | $175,000 | 196 |
| Los Angeles | $122,739 | $83,200 | $160,000 | 173 |
| Long Beach | $115,068 | $78,000 | $150,000 | 153 |
| San Diego | $113,150 | $76,700 | $147,500 | 161 |
| Sacramento | $103,561 | $70,200 | $135,000 | 130 |
| Fresno | $91,096 | $61,750 | $118,750 | 105 |
The median annual salary for a Civil Engineer in California is $122,500, or about $58.89 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Civil Engineers is $102,499. California is +20% above the national median.
Entry-level civil engineers in California typically earn from $100,750 depending on the city and employer.
With 55,180 civil engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $122,500, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 137 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 83% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $185,180, Nuclear Engineers at $172,400, Electronics Engineers, Except Computer at $160,520 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 137 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 83% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $185,180 | $19,820 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $172,400 | $1,070 |
| Electronics Engineers, Except Computer | $160,520 | $20,830 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | $158,130 | $520 |
| Aerospace Engineers | $157,620 | $9,170 |
| Electrical Engineers | $144,040 | $24,230 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.