Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC make a median of $83,420 a year, or about $40.11 an hour. The range runs from $54K at the entry level to $143K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.02), that's roughly $85,105 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,816/month, about 34.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $83K get you in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal’s Regional Price Parity (98.02). 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal
Pay for civil engineers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $101K. Rent runs $1,816/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.02) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $99K | $98K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $103K | $110K |
| Columbia | $95K | $101K |
| Spartanburg | $79K | $87K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $54K. Mid-career wages sit at $83K. Top earners bring in $143K or more, a $89K 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $83K, rent takes 34.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,816/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $54K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,257/month. At HUD’s $1,816/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $83K here vs. $101K nationally.
How does Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal pays $83K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.02), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC?
The median is $83,420 a year, that works out to about $40 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $54,290, and experienced civil engineers can clear $143,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $83K enough to live in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,280/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,816/month, which eats 34.4% 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal?
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal has a Regional Price Parity of 98.02 (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 $85,105 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.