Salary comparison
Civil Engineer vs Software Engineer salary
Software Engineers out-earn civil engineers by about $33,490 at the median. Here is the full side-by-side breakdown — pay range, top states, and experience.
Software Engineers earn more — a median of $133,080 versus $99,590 for civil engineers, a gap of about $33,490 (34%). Both figures are published national wage benchmarks.
Civil Engineer
Verified$99,590
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $65,920
- Top 10%
- $160,990
- Discipline
- Architecture & Engineering
Software Engineer
Verified$133,080
Median annual wage
- Entry (10th pct)
- $79,850
- Top 10%
- $211,450
- Discipline
- Software & Technology
Civil Engineer vs Software Engineer — pay distribution
Percentile-by-percentile comparison of national annual wages.
| Percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentileCivil Engineer | $65,920 |
| MedianCivil Engineer | $99,590 |
| 90th percentileCivil Engineer | $160,990 |
| 10th percentileSoftware Engineer | $79,850 |
| MedianSoftware Engineer | $133,080 |
| 90th percentileSoftware Engineer | $211,450 |
Pay by experience
Modeled progression from entry to principal level for each role (estimated from the national percentile curve).
Civil Engineer
Software Engineer
Where each role pays most
Highest-paying states by published median wage.
Civil Engineer
- California$118,450
- Rhode Island$112,250
- Alaska$107,240
- Washington$105,090
- New Mexico$104,600
Software Engineer
- California$170,910
- Washington$166,910
- New York$161,260
- Massachusetts$150,520
- Maryland$137,890
Which should you choose?
On pay alone, software engineers earn about 34% more at the median — but location and specialization routinely move pay by more than that gap.
Pick civil engineer if…
Civil engineers design and supervise infrastructure projects — roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings.
- ▹Professional Engineer (PE) license (often required for advancement)
- ▹Public sector vs. private consulting
- ▹Specialty (structural, geotechnical, transportation, water)
Pick software engineer if…
Software engineers design, build, and maintain the software systems, applications, and services that companies run on — from web and mobile apps to backend infrastructure.
- ▹Years of experience and seniority (junior → staff/principal)
- ▹Company type (Big Tech and trading firms pay well above median)
- ▹Equity and bonus, which can exceed base pay at senior levels
Civil Engineer vs Software Engineer — frequently asked
Who earns more, civil engineers or software engineers?
What is the salary range for civil engineers vs software engineers?
Should I become a civil engineer or a software engineer?
Source details
Published wage from BLS OEWS May 2024 for SOC 17-2051 (Civil Engineers), national.
Benchmarks come from published government wage data via BLS OEWS. Local and emerging-role figures are labeled estimates. Full methodology →