Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Richmond, VA make a median of $91,300 a year, or about $43.9 an hour. The range runs from $73K at the entry level to $137K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.86), that's roughly $93,297 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,655/month, or 28.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $91K get you in Richmond?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Richmond’s Regional Price Parity (97.86). 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 Richmond
Civil engineers pay in Richmond tracks closely to the national median, $91K locally vs. $101K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,655/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.86) 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 Richmond, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $94K | $102K |
| Charlottesville | $89K | $90K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $95K | $97K |
| Roanoke | $91K | $97K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Richmond, VA
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $73K. Mid-career wages sit at $91K. Top earners bring in $137K or more, a $64K 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 Richmond?
Yes — at the median salary of $91K, rent takes 29.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,655/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Richmond?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $73K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,384/month. At HUD’s $1,655/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Richmond?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $91K locally vs. $101K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Richmond compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Richmond pays $91K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $93K — below the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Richmond, VA?
The median is $91,300 a year, that works out to about $44 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $73,060, and experienced civil engineers can clear $136,860. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $91K enough to live in Richmond?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,657/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,655/month, which eats 29.3% 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 Richmond?
Richmond has a Regional Price Parity of 97.86 (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 $93,297 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.