Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD make a median of $100,500 a year, or about $48.32 an hour. The range runs from $76K at the entry level to $145K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.49), that's roughly $96,181 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,857/month, or 30% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $101K get you in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Baltimore-Columbia-Towson’s Regional Price Parity (104.49). 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 engineers
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What this looks like in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson
Civil engineers pay in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson tracks closely to the national median, $101K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,857/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 104.49) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lexington Park | $98K | $98K |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg | $102K | $108K |
| Salisbury | $88K | $92K |
| Charlottesville | $89K | $90K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $76K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $145K or more, a $69K spread from bottom to top.
Civil Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Civil Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $123K | +21% | 55,180 |
| Alaska | $115K | +14% | 1,670 |
| Washington | $110K | +9% | 12,590 |
| Massachusetts | $107K | +6% | 9,450 |
| Louisiana | $105K | +5% | 3,780 |
| Oregon | $105K | +4% | 4,890 |
| New Jersey | $105K | +4% | 6,900 |
| Nevada | $104K | +3% | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $104K | +3% | 1,350 |
| District of Columbia | $104K | +3% | 1,650 |
| New York | $104K | +3% | 17,500 |
| Connecticut | $103K | +2% | 4,370 |
| Nebraska | $103K | +2% | 2,360 |
| South Carolina | $102K | +1% | 7,180 |
| Minnesota | $101K | +1% | 4,710 |
| Colorado | $101K | +1% | 13,290 |
| Kentucky | $101K | +0% | 2,690 |
| North Carolina | $101K | -0% | 12,810 |
| Maryland | $101K | -0% | 5,240 |
| Delaware | $100K | -1% | 920 |
| Mississippi | $100K | -1% | 1,770 |
| Illinois | $100K | -1% | 13,910 |
| Rhode Island | $99K | -2% | 1,270 |
| Alabama | $99K | -2% | 5,370 |
| Oklahoma | $99K | -2% | 2,180 |
| New Hampshire | $99K | -2% | 1,620 |
| South Dakota | $99K | -2% | 1,440 |
| Florida | $99K | -2% | 23,750 |
| Indiana | $98K | -3% | 4,030 |
| North Dakota | $98K | -3% | 1,380 |
| Idaho | $98K | -3% | 2,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $98K | -3% | 15,870 |
| Maine | $98K | -3% | 1,240 |
| Virginia | $97K | -4% | 11,350 |
| Kansas | $97K | -4% | 2,880 |
| Texas | $97K | -4% | 34,870 |
| Utah | $97K | -4% | 5,670 |
| Iowa | $96K | -4% | 2,500 |
| Ohio | $96K | -5% | 10,560 |
| Tennessee | $96K | -5% | 5,790 |
| Vermont | $96K | -5% | 770 |
| Wisconsin | $95K | -6% | 7,410 |
| Hawaii | $94K | -7% | 2,640 |
| Montana | $93K | -8% | 1,870 |
| Missouri | $93K | -8% | 5,760 |
| Michigan | $92K | -9% | 7,760 |
| Wyoming | $91K | -10% | 990 |
| Arizona | $90K | -11% | 5,940 |
| West Virginia | $87K | -14% | 1,300 |
| Arkansas | $85K | -16% | 1,870 |
| Georgia | $84K | -16% | 9,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track civil engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Baltimore-Columbia-Towson numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 29.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,857/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $76K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,559/month. At HUD’s $1,857/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $101K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Baltimore-Columbia-Towson compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD?
The median is $100,500 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,990, and experienced civil engineers can clear $144,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,207/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,857/month, which eats 29.9% 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson?
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson has a Regional Price Parity of 104.49 (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 engineers salary is worth about $96,181 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.