Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH make a median of $107,670 a year, or about $51.77 an hour. The range runs from $80K at the entry level to $167K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $99,446 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 43.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $108K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Civil engineers pay in Boston-Cambridge-Newton tracks closely to the national median, $108K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 44.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $102K | $99K |
| Pittsfield | $101K | $106K |
| Springfield | $100K | $104K |
| Amherst Town-Northampton | $103K | $103K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $80K. Mid-career wages sit at $108K. Top earners bring in $167K or more, a $88K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $108K, rent takes 44.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $2,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $80K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,775/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $108K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $108K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $99K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $107,670 a year, that works out to about $52 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $79,580, and experienced civil engineers can clear $167,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $108K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,562/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 44.8% 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 engineers salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (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 $99,446 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.