Quick answer:Civil Engineers in California earn a median $122,500 per year, above the national median of $100,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The state employs about 55,180 of them. Licensing runs through your state engineering licensing board.
Civil Engineering Pay and Employment in California at a Glance
Metric
California
National
Source
Median annual wage
$122,500
$100,840
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$77,980
$68,240
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$96,590
$79,930
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$149,350
$129,680
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$175,940
$163,220
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
55,180
367,840
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.28
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
5.0%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How California Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The California median of $122,500 sits above the national median of $100,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.28 puts California well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Civil engineering demand tracks regional infrastructure, water, transportation and land development activity.
Civil Engineers Wages by Metro Area in California
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), civil engineers wages in California vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
16,340
$108,640
$120,120
$72,860
$170,670
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
10,990
$130,160
$136,350
$90,860
$202,730
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
5,620
$108,900
$118,700
$79,410
$166,430
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
5,590
$130,150
$129,650
$81,680
$175,940
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
3,510
$115,120
$117,990
$75,390
$168,820
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
3,170
$130,280
$137,910
$81,790
$205,330
Fresno
1,250
$119,720
$117,260
$74,870
$164,670
Bakersfield-Delano
870
$99,300
$110,540
$75,580
$163,180
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
790
$108,820
$115,230
$73,280
$167,130
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
720
$110,210
$117,040
$75,580
$163,890
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
610
$119,980
$121,890
$78,580
$171,050
Stockton-Lodi
610
$116,990
$118,400
$78,400
$165,100
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
490
$111,740
$122,750
$79,370
$174,900
Yuba City
460
$119,990
$118,150
$77,990
$156,820
Redding
380
$126,000
$124,340
$75,990
$173,440
Modesto
320
$101,000
$110,430
$73,780
$167,190
Vallejo
300
$122,510
$122,290
$77,240
$163,670
Salinas
250
$122,160
$120,250
$75,580
$167,060
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
210
$118,050
$117,660
$76,460
$166,580
Visalia
200
$104,780
$112,700
$75,580
$159,990
Napa
180
$123,440
$130,620
$80,220
$189,140
Chico
160
$107,350
$114,880
$71,400
$162,610
El Centro
120
$109,490
$115,550
$77,880
$162,860
Merced
50
$102,930
$111,130
$66,470
$153,880
Hanford-Corcoran
40
$99,910
$110,770
$72,330
$167,240
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Civil engineering is the most licensure-dependent engineering discipline, because sealing drawings and holding responsible charge require a Professional Engineer license from a state board. The national framework is an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state engineering licensing board that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How We Rank Schools
We first gather the schools closest to the city or state page you are viewing, then rank that
local group by BOC Score, with the highest at the top. The BOC Score is computed from federal
IPEDS and College Scorecard data; schools without enough data to score appear last.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
25%
Average net price (lower is better)
20%
Retention rate
15%
Fully online availability
10%
Schools without enough federal outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
The median annual wage for civil engineers in California is $122,500, above the national median of $100,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $96,590 at the 25th percentile to $149,350 at the 75th.
How many civil engineers work in California?
California holds about 55,180 civil engineer jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 367,840, and BLS projects about 23,600 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a civil engineer in California?
Civil engineering is the most licensure-dependent engineering discipline, because sealing drawings and holding responsible charge require a Professional Engineer license from a state board. The national framework is an ABET-accredited degree, the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, qualifying experience, then the PE exam. Whether a state accepts an ABET ETAC (engineering technology) degree toward licensure varies, and so do comity rules between states. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state engineering licensing board before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a ABET-accredited BSCE online while working in California?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state engineering licensing board.
What is the highest-paying area of California for civil engineers?
Among California metro areas with published data, San Jose reports the highest median at $130,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is California a good state for civil engineers?
On pay, the state median of $122,500 sits above the national $100,840 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.28 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
