Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL make a median of $81,840 a year, or about $39.35 an hour. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $159K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.14), that's roughly $84,250 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,497/month, or 27.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $82K get you in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lakeland-Winter Haven’s Regional Price Parity (97.14). 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven
Pay for civil engineers in Lakeland-Winter Haven runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $101K. Rent runs $1,497/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.14) 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $84K | $73K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $101K | $100K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $101K | $99K |
| Jacksonville | $102K | $103K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $82K. Top earners bring in $159K or more, a $101K 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
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Yes — at the median salary of $82K, rent takes 27.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,497/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,469/month. At HUD’s $1,497/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $82K here vs. $101K nationally.
How does Lakeland-Winter Haven compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Lakeland-Winter Haven pays $82K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The median is $81,840 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $57,810, and experienced civil engineers can clear $158,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $82K enough to live in Lakeland-Winter Haven?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,497/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,497/month, which eats 27.2% 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 Lakeland-Winter Haven?
Lakeland-Winter Haven has a Regional Price Parity of 97.14 (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 $84,250 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.