Virginia · SOC 17-2051
Civil Engineer Salary in Virginia
VerifiedPublished wages for civil engineers in Virginia, straight from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024 release — the full percentile distribution, employment concentration, and metro detail.
Civil Engineers in Virginia earn a median of $96,210 per year ($101,020 mean), per BLS OEWS May 2024. The middle 50% earn $77,120–$125,080; the top 10% earn $145,480. That is 3% below the national median of $99,590, ranking Virginia #26 of 50 states that publish this occupation.
Median wage
Verified$96,210
-3% vs national
Top 10% earn
$145,480
90th percentile
Employed in state
11,030
Reliability Good (6.4% RSE)
Civil Engineer pay distribution — Virginia 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 | $61,610 | -7% |
| 25th percentile | $77,120 | -2% |
| Median50th percentile | $96,210 | -3% |
| 75th percentile | $125,080 | -3% |
| 90th percentiletop earners | $145,480 | -10% |
| Meanaverage | $101,020 | -6% |
Where civil engineers earn most in Virginia
Metro areas in Virginia where BLS publishes a wage for SOC 17-2051. Metros BLS withholds are not listed.
| Metro area | Median | Top 10% | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| WinchesterWinchester, VA-WV | $103,680 | $145,480 | 150 |
| Washington, D.C.Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $100,370 | $162,060 | 8,280 |
| StauntonStaunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $96,100 | $132,540 | 80 |
| CharlottesvilleCharlottesville, VA | $95,410 | $146,400 | 150 |
| Virginia BeachVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $94,060 | $136,950 | 2,160 |
| RichmondRichmond, VA | $88,920 | $138,860 | 1,720 |
| KingsportKingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $87,630 | $124,990 | 190 |
| BlacksburgBlacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA | $86,880 | $141,670 | 130 |
| RoanokeRoanoke, VA | $85,450 | $134,480 | 270 |
| LynchburgLynchburg, VA | $80,820 | $134,750 | 230 |
| HarrisonburgHarrisonburg, VA | $79,980 | $140,640 | 60 |
Virginia engineering labor market
Concentration and pay level across all engineering occupations BLS publishes for this state.
Location quotient
1.18
Jobs per 1,000
2.71
State rank (pay)
#26 of 50
All engineering roles
$126,416
A location quotient of 1.18 means Virginia 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), Virginia (state).
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →