Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN make a median of $101,830 a year, or about $48.96 an hour. The range runs from $71K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.7), that's roughly $106,405 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,473/month, or 22.4% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $102K get you in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Civil engineers pay in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood tracks closely to the national median, $102K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,473/month, 23% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Wayne | $89K | $96K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $96K | $104K |
| Evansville | $88K | $96K |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette | $87K | $94K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $71K. Mid-career wages sit at $102K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $85K 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Yes — at the median salary of $102K, rent takes 23% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,473/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $71K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,283/month. At HUD’s $1,473/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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $102K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays $102K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $106K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?
The median is $101,830 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $71,380, and experienced civil engineers can clear $156,170. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $102K enough to live in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,410/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,473/month, which eats 23% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.7 (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 $106,405 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.