Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Burlington, NC make a median of $100,220 a year, or about $48.18 an hour. The range runs from $66K at the entry level to $154K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.2), which stretches that salary to about $107,532 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,348/month, or 20.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $100K get you in Burlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Burlington’s Regional Price Parity (93.2). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Burlington
Civil engineers pay in Burlington tracks closely to the national median, $100K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,348/month, 21.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.2 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Burlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary | $101K | $103K |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $102K | $105K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $94K | $96K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $93K | $101K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Burlington, NC
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $66K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $154K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Burlington numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Burlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 21.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,348/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Burlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $66K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,955/month. At HUD’s $1,348/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Burlington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $100K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Burlington compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Burlington pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $108K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Burlington, NC?
The median is $100,220 a year, that works out to about $48 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $65,920, and experienced civil engineers can clear $153,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Burlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,198/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,348/month, which eats 21.7% 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 Burlington?
Burlington has a Regional Price Parity of 93.2 (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 $107,532 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.