Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $101,440 a year, or about $48.77 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $164K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $103,341 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,750/month, or 26.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $101K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Civil engineers pay in Raleigh-Cary tracks closely to the national median, $101K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,750/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) 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 Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $102K | $105K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $94K | $96K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $93K | $101K |
| Wilmington | $94K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $101K. Top earners bring in $164K or more, a $90K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes — at the median salary of $101K, rent takes 27.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,450/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $101K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Raleigh-Cary pays $101K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $103K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $101,440 a year, that works out to about $49 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,170, and experienced civil engineers can clear $163,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $101K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,265/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 27.9% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (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 $103,341 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.