California · SOC 17-2051
Civil Engineer Salary in California
VerifiedPublished wages for civil engineers in California, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Civil Engineers in California earn a median of $118,450 per year ($122,050 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $94,450–$145,730; the top 10% earn $171,760. That is 19% above the national median of $99,590, ranking California #1 of 50 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$118,450
+19% vs national
Top 10% earn
$171,760
90th percentile
Employed in state
54,640
Reliability High (3.3% RSE)
Civil Engineer pay distribution — California vs national
Every figure below is a published BLS percentile. Bars share one scale, so the two distributions compare directly.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $77,620 | +18% |
| 25th percentile | $94,450 | +20% |
| Median50th percentile | $118,450 | +19% |
| 75th percentile | $145,730 | +14% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $171,760 | +7% |
| Meanaverage | $122,050 | +14% |
Where civil engineers earn most in California
Metro areas in California where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2051. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SacramentoSacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $130,310 | $172,480 | 5,190 |
| San JoseSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $129,260 | $199,560 | 3,180 |
| ReddingRedding, CA | $127,130 | $168,390 | 330 |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $126,560 | $199,010 | 9,920 |
| NapaNapa, CA | $122,820 | $170,140 | 160 |
| Yuba CityYuba City, CA | $117,740 | $156,710 | 410 |
| Santa CruzSanta Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $116,440 | $162,570 | 190 |
| Santa RosaSanta Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $115,970 | $168,100 | 460 |
| VallejoVallejo, CA | $113,500 | $165,170 | 370 |
| SalinasSalinas, CA | $112,510 | $158,620 | 250 |
| FresnoFresno, CA | $110,920 | $163,960 | 1,240 |
| San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $110,920 | $160,680 | 680 |
| RiversideRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $109,250 | $168,590 | 3,620 |
| StocktonStockton-Lodi, CA | $108,010 | $161,080 | 610 |
| Santa MariaSanta Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $106,430 | $165,520 | 550 |
| OxnardOxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $106,420 | $166,500 | 700 |
| El CentroEl Centro, CA | $106,380 | $157,600 | 110 |
| San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $106,350 | $164,060 | 6,390 |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $105,290 | $170,140 | 16,390 |
| HanfordHanford-Corcoran, CA | $103,210 | $163,430 | 30 |
| ModestoModesto, CA | $103,040 | $169,400 | 300 |
| VisaliaVisalia, CA | $101,610 | $154,530 | 190 |
| MercedMerced, CA | $99,600 | $163,110 | 50 |
| BakersfieldBakersfield-Delano, CA | $98,160 | $159,780 | 760 |
| ChicoChico, CA | $94,580 | $146,430 | 170 |
California engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.31
Jobs per 1,000
3.03
State rank (pay)
#1 of 50
All engineering roles
$154,208
A location quotient of 1.31 means California employs civil engineers at a meaningfully higher rate than the country as a whole — a genuine cluster for this discipline.
Frequently asked questions
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2051 (Civil Engineers), California (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →