Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Arizona make a median of $89,660 a year, or about $43.1 an hour. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $138K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $92,999 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,437/month, or 24.9% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $90K actually covers in Arizona, month by month
About civil engineers
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What this looks like in Arizona
Pay for civil engineers in Arizona runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $101K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,437/month, 24.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Arizona can be a reasonable trade-off for civil engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $90K. Top earners bring in $138K or more, a $74K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers salary by metro in Arizona
6 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | $101K | +13% | 50 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott | $95K | +6% | 60 |
| Yuma | $94K | +5% | 110 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $90K | +1% | 4,690 |
| Tucson | $81K | -9% | 760 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $79K | -12% | 60 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
Yes — at the median salary of $90K, rent takes 24.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,303/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 33% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Arizona?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $90K here vs. $101K nationally.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Arizona pays $90K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Arizona?
The median is $89,660 a year, that works out to about $43 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,740, and experienced civil engineers can clear $138,030. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $90K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,768/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 24.9% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a civil engineers salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median civil engineers salary is worth about $92,999 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do civil engineers 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.