Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI make a median of $92,600 a year, or about $44.52 an hour. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.55), that's roughly $96,913 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,519/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $93K get you in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.55). 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood
Civil engineers pay in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood tracks closely to the national median, $93K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 8% difference. Rent runs $1,519/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.55) 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $93K | $92K |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $96K | $101K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $96K | $101K |
| Ann Arbor | $98K | $97K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $93K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $67K 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Yes — at the median salary of $93K, rent takes 26.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,519/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,788/month. At HUD’s $1,519/month FMR, rent would take 40% 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $93K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 8% difference.
How does Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood pays $93K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -8%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $97K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI?
The median is $92,600 a year, that works out to about $45 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,130, and experienced civil engineers can clear $130,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $93K enough to live in Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,800/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,519/month, which eats 26.2% 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 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood?
Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.55 (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 $96,913 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.