Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Jefferson City, MO make a median of $77,980 a year, or about $37.49 an hour. The range runs from $59K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.97), which stretches that salary to about $88,644 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $910/month, or 17.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $78K actually covers in Jefferson City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jefferson City’s Regional Price Parity (87.97). 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 Jefferson City
Pay for civil engineers in Jefferson City runs about 23% below the U.S. median of $101K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $910/month, 18.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.97 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Jefferson City can be a reasonable trade-off for civil engineers who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Jefferson City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | $99K | $107K |
| St. Louis | $97K | $102K |
| Springfield | $83K | $93K |
| Joplin | $79K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jefferson City, MO
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $59K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $57K 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
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Related careers in Engineering
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jefferson City?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 18.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $910/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Jefferson City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $59K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,947/month. At HUD’s $910/month FMR, rent would take 23% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is civil engineer a high-paying job in Jefferson City?
Local pay runs 23% below the national median — $78K here vs. $101K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jefferson City compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Jefferson City pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.97), the purchasing-power equivalent is $89K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Jefferson City, MO?
The median is $77,980 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $58,910, and experienced civil engineers can clear $116,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Jefferson City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,026/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $910/month, which eats 18.1% 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 Jefferson City?
Jefferson City has a Regional Price Parity of 87.97 (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 $88,644 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.