Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL make a median of $81,190 a year, or about $39.04 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $125K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.08), which stretches that salary to about $94,319 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $992/month, or 19.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Cape Girardeau?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cape Girardeau’s Regional Price Parity (86.08). 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 Cape Girardeau
Pay for civil engineers in Cape Girardeau runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $101K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $992/month, 19.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Cape Girardeau can be a reasonable trade-off for civil engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Cape Girardeau, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $99K | $107K |
| St. Louis | $97K | $102K |
| Springfield | $83K | $93K |
| Jefferson City | $78K | $89K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cape Girardeau, MO-IL
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $125K or more, a $62K 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 Cape Girardeau numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Cape Girardeau?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 19.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $992/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Cape Girardeau?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,803/month. At HUD’s $992/month FMR, rent would take 26% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Cape Girardeau?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $81K here vs. $101K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Cape Girardeau compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Cape Girardeau pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Cape Girardeau, MO-IL?
The median is $81,190 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,380, and experienced civil engineers can clear $125,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Cape Girardeau?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,202/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $992/month, which eats 19.1% 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 Cape Girardeau?
Cape Girardeau has a Regional Price Parity of 86.08 (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 $94,319 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.