If civil engineering were a stock, the analysts would be shouting, “Buy!”
ASCE’s new “2019 Civil Engineering Salary Report” reveals a median pretax annual salary of $109,000 in 2018, continuing an upward compensation trend in the industry.
Civil engineers’ base salaries have risen at a rate of 4 to 6 percent each year since 2016.
“Civil engineers design, build and maintain the infrastructure systems we use each day – our roads and bridges, drinking water, energy systems and airports,” said ASCE President Robin A. Kemper, P.E., LEED AP, ENV SP, F.SEI, F.ASCE. “This continuous rise reflects the value of our civil engineers and the services they provide.”
The salary report data is culled from responses of ASCE members about their jobs and financial compensation. This year, the typical respondent was a male in his early 40s, with a bachelor’s or advanced degree and about 18 years of professional experience.
Value in professional licensure
Professional licensure continues to prove valuable, as those civil engineers with P.E. licenses earned over 20 percent more on average than their peers who practice without any license or certification.
Wage gaps remain
The gender wage gap remains an issue in the industry. The report found that the median salary for a male was $110,000 – outpacing women’s median salaries by $23,000.
“I hope to see women’s salaries increase next year,” Kemper said. “We are seeing more women in civil engineering, yet it is troubling to see such a significant gender gap in salaries between women and men. I hope we can work to reduce this gap as we continue to bring more people into this field.”
High quality of life
In addition to a rising base salary, many civil engineers enjoy an array of benefits that inclues basic health insurance, parental leave, an average of 20 days of paid time off, 15 vacation days, eight holidays per year and six days of sick leave.
As for quality of life, more than eight in 10 respondents are either very satisfied or satisfied with their job overall, and reported a higher level of satisfaction with their compensation in 2019 compared to 2018. Only 5 percent expressed dissatisfaction with their job overall.
Learn more about how to access the entire 2019 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report, including unlimited access to searchable survey data, as well as the ASCE Salary Calculator, which allows users to assess how their salary compares to others. ASCE members get five free uses of the calculator or the searchable data.
