Civil Engineer California
Civil Engineer salary in California
Typical pay
$120,000a year
Most Civil Engineers earn $106k to $146k a year
From 190 current job postings, updated Nov 10, 2026 Pay that employers list in their job postings
The median Civil Engineer salary in California is $120,000 a year. Most job postings pay $105,900 to $146,400. From 190 current job postings, updated Nov 10, 2026.
432 open jobs. See them
Typical pay by city in California
Back to the whole USCalifornia
$120k typical, most $106k to $146k
| San Francisco, CA | $133k | $110k to $146k | 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $121k | $95k to $137k | 30 |
| San Jose, CA | $118k | $105k to $143k | 12 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $116k | $106k to $145k | 53 |
| San Diego, CA | $115k | $108k to $126k | 23 |
| Bakersfield, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Fresno, CA | – | – | 7 |
| Modesto, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Oxnard, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Riverside, CA | – | – | 6 |
| Salinas, CA | – | – | 1 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | – | – | 2 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Santa Maria, CA | – | – | 1 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | – | – | 3 |
| Vallejo, CA | – | – | 0 |
| Visalia, CA | – | – | 0 |
Pay advertised in current postings, per year. Postings are those that list pay.
Pay by experience level
What most job postings pay at each stage. The dot is typical pay.
- Starting out 15 job postings$70k $92k
Typical: $79k
Most new hires start near the low end.
- Experienced 94 job postings$97k $123k
Typical: $115k
- Senior 48 job postings$127k $165k
Typical: $147k
- Lead or manager 3 job postings
Not enough postings yet (we show pay once 10 postings list it)
Where would you land?
Pick your level to see what most Civil Engineer job postings in California pay at it.
Experienced: most postings pay $97k to $123k a year, typically $115k.
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Pay by employer and level
Typical yearly pay at the employers with the most postings that list pay. A dash means fewer than 10 of their postings at that level list pay.
| Employer | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farnsworth Group | $115k | – | $110k | – | – |
| KPFF Consulting Engineers | $100k | – | – | – | – |
| Kimley-Horn | $114k | – | $108k | – | – |
How much does a Civil Engineer make in California?
Employers hiring now typically offer $120,000 a year for Civil Engineer roles in California. These numbers come from the pay employers list in their job postings, so they show what is on offer today rather than what people earned last year. We only show a number when at least 10 postings list pay.
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