What is the average starting salary for a civil engineer? This question is quite common these days because many young people are finding it important to get an idea of how much they could be earning in their future career after college. Civil engineering is one of the most popular and widely sought professions out there.
Civil engineers have the benefit of working for a wide variety of employers, from government agencies and research facilities to engineering firms and construction companies. Their salaries often vary by employer, especially within the private sector, where median salaries depend on which region of the country civil engineers work in. Median annual earnings for civil engineers were $83,480 as of May 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Average starting salary for a civil engineer
The average starting salary for a civil engineer is $56,700. While the specific numbers can vary based on experience and education, the overall wage tends to stay around this range. As with most professions however, the more time spent in school and the more advanced degrees attained generally lead to higher wages over time.
Cost of living plays a large role in determining the average starting salary for civil engineers. The cost of living is also determined by multiple factors. Population, income levels, crime rates and local services are all factored in to determine what the cost of living is for an area. The best way to find out about cost of living is to conduct a search on Google or Yahoo that includes the particular area you are interested in and the phrase cost of living. Google will tell you the average material costs, transportation costs, and other costs that may be important to you.
There are many factors that go into determining starting salary for civil engineers, one of which is the specialty of their focus. Most of the general categories for a civil engineer are related to construction and construction-related practices, whether it’s related to buildings or roads. The median salary for an entry level civil engineer is currently around $57,000 per year.
Although the starting salary is fairly high, civil engineers aren’t likely to stay in this field forever. They typically have to start out with a 4 year degree (Bachelor’s), followed by 5 years of experience, and finally then earning a professional license. After this, it’s safe to say that they will likely earn less money than they did at the beginning of their career. A possible alternative career therefore would be as an urban planner, where there are little chances of being laid off and another good chance at more pay!
civil engineers earned a median annual salary of $79,490 in 2016. This is higher than the median annual salaries of $71,370 earned by general engineers and $82,130 earned by environmental engineers.
