Civil Engineers Salary
Civil Engineers in Salem, OR make a median of $115,480 a year, or about $55.52 an hour. The range runs from $78K at the entry level to $148K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $111,413 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,560/month, or 22% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $115K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Salem sits well above the national pay line for civil engineers, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $101K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,560/month, 23.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Salem offers a genuinely strong financial position for civil engineerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for civil engineers in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $106K | $101K |
| Bend | $101K | $98K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $99K | $97K |
| Corvallis | $104K | $100K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level civil engineers (10th percentile) start around $78K. Mid-career wages sit at $115K. Top earners bring in $148K or more, a $69K 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 Salem numbers change.
Related careers in Engineering
Frequently asked questions
Can a civil engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salem?
Yes — at the median salary of $115K, rent takes 23.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for civil engineers in Salem?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new civil engineers typically earn — is $78K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,693/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Salem?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $115K here vs. $101K nationally.
How does Salem compare to the national average for civil engineers?
Salem pays $115K median vs. the U.S. average of $101K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $111K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do civil engineers make in Salem, OR?
The median is $115,480 a year, that works out to about $56 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $78,220, and experienced civil engineers can clear $147,600. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $115K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,671/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 23.4% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median civil engineers salary is worth about $111,413 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.