Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Iowa | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $96,430 | $102,499 | -6% |
| Median hourly wage | $46.36 | $49.28 | -6% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $109,829.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Civil Engineer in Iowa is $96,430, or about $46.36 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Civil Engineers is $102,499. Iowa is -6% below the national median.
Entry-level civil engineers in Iowa typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 2,500 civil engineer jobs on record and a median salary of $96,430, Iowa offers competitive pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 90 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 87% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Computer Hardware Engineers at $125,120, Chemical Engineers at $117,590, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors at $106,350 — all figures are median annual wages for Iowa.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, civil engineers rank 90 of the 711 occupations reported in Iowa — higher than 87% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Iowa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $125,120 | $130 |
| Chemical Engineers | $117,590 | $40 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | $106,350 | $230 |
| Electrical Engineers | $105,820 | $1,280 |
| Engineers, All Other | $103,090 | $1,100 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $97,700 | $3,470 |
Iowa 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 90.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 711 occupations in Iowa.