Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Salary
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA make a median of $84,120 a year, or about $40.44 an hour. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $115K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.6), so that salary is closer to $77,459 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,512/month, about 47.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $84K get you in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles’s Regional Price Parity (108.6). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About civil engineering technologists and technicians
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What this looks like in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles sits well above the national pay line for civil engineering technologists and technicians, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $65K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,512/month, which is 47.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.6), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineering technologists and technicians in metros near San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $84K | $74K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $98K | $84K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $81K | $76K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $81K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
Entry-level civil engineering technologists and technicians (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $84K. Top earners bring in $115K or more, a $63K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $85K | +31% | 970 |
| California | $83K | +29% | 7,250 |
| Washington | $80K | +23% | 2,090 |
| Illinois | $79K | +22% | 4,190 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +21% | 2,030 |
| Nevada | $75K | +15% | 800 |
| Vermont | $74K | +14% | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $74K | +14% | 1,560 |
| New York | $74K | +14% | 1,710 |
| Connecticut | $73K | +13% | 330 |
| Iowa | $73K | +12% | 1,130 |
| Massachusetts | $71K | +10% | 680 |
| Alaska | $71K | +9% | 230 |
| New Jersey | $71K | +9% | 760 |
| Louisiana | $68K | +5% | 410 |
| Maine | $68K | +4% | 290 |
| Virginia | $67K | +3% | 1,480 |
| Nebraska | $67K | +3% | 370 |
| North Dakota | $65K | +0% | 400 |
| Ohio | $65K | -0% | 1,790 |
| Utah | $64K | -1% | 630 |
| New Hampshire | $64K | -1% | 300 |
| Hawaii | $64K | -1% | 120 |
| Indiana | $64K | -1% | 1,040 |
| Rhode Island | $64K | -2% | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $64K | -2% | 2,290 |
| Arizona | $64K | -2% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $63K | -2% | 4,030 |
| Idaho | $63K | -3% | 440 |
| Maryland | $63K | -3% | 620 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -4% | 710 |
| Delaware | $62K | -4% | 350 |
| Montana | $61K | -5% | 310 |
| Missouri | $61K | -6% | 1,300 |
| South Dakota | $61K | -6% | 460 |
| Oklahoma | $60K | -8% | 400 |
| Kentucky | $60K | -8% | 1,860 |
| Kansas | $59K | -8% | 1,060 |
| Texas | $59K | -9% | 4,470 |
| Colorado | $59K | -9% | 1,820 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -10% | 2,760 |
| Michigan | $58K | -11% | 2,930 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -12% | 1,650 |
| Wyoming | $56K | -14% | 300 |
| South Carolina | $54K | -17% | 1,480 |
| West Virginia | $53K | -18% | 520 |
| Alabama | $53K | -19% | 1,800 |
| Arkansas | $52K | -20% | N/A |
| Georgia | $50K | -22% | 3,840 |
| Mississippi | $46K | -29% | 800 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track civil engineering technologists and technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineering technologists and technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $84K, rent takes 47.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,512/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineering technologists and technicians in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineering technologists and technicians typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,120/month. At HUD’s $2,512/month FMR, rent would take 81% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is civil engineering technologists and technician a high-paying job in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $84K here vs. $65K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 9% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles compare to the national average for civil engineering technologists and technicians?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles pays $84K median vs. the U.S. average of $65K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.6), the purchasing-power equivalent is $77K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineering technologists and technicians make in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
The median is $84,120 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,000, and experienced civil engineering technologists and technicians can clear $115,110. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $84K enough to live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,300/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,512/month, which eats 47.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a civil engineering technologists and technicians salary go in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles has a Regional Price Parity of 108.6 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median civil engineering technologists and technicians salary is worth about $77,459 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil engineering technologists and technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.