San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · CBSA 41940
Civil Engineer Salary in San Jose
VerifiedPublished metro-area wages for civil engineers in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, from the BLS OEWS May 2024 release — with the local distribution set against California and the national benchmark.
Civil Engineers in San Jose earn a median of $129,260 per year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $102,660–$166,360; the top 10% earn $199,560. That is 30% above the national median and 9% above the California median. BLS reports 3,180 employed locally.
Median wage
Verified$129,260
+30% vs national
Top 10% earn
$199,560
90th percentile
Employed in metro
3,180
Reliability Good (9.9% RSE)
Civil Engineer pay — San Jose vs California vs national
All three distributions are published BLS percentiles on a single shared scale.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs national |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentileentry / low | $83,620 | +27% |
| 25th percentile | $102,660 | +30% |
| Median50th percentile | $129,260 | +30% |
| 75th percentile | $166,360 | +30% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $199,560 | +24% |
| Meanaverage | $138,030 | +29% |
How concentrated civil engineers are in San Jose
Location quotient compares local concentration to the national rate. Above 1.00 means this metro employs the occupation more densely than the country overall.
Location quotient
1.21
Jobs per 1,000
2.80
Metro rank (pay)
#2 of 373
All engineering roles
$198,002
San Jose employs civil engineers at close to the national rate (location quotient 1.21).
Frequently asked questions
How much does a civil engineer make in San Jose?
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Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2051 (Civil Engineers), San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (metro area).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →