Civil engineers are in demand and salaries in the profession are rising as professionals take advantage of a job market where their skills are needed, according to the 2025 ASCE Civil Engineering Salary Report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
The survey found the average base salary for civil engineers is $148,000, a 6.4 percent increase over last year's average base salary of $139,000. The survey has found that between 2022 and 2025, civil engineers have seen their salary increase between 6 percent to 7 percent annually, compared to 3 percent to 5 percent annual salary increases for the overall United States workforce, according to the WorldatWork 2024-2025 Salary Budget Survey. The survey also found that earning a Professional Engineers (PE) License increases a civil engineer's annual salary by $40,000 compared to those without a license or certification. The median entry level salary for civil engineers also increased to $77,100 in this year's survey.
"Pursuing a degree and career in civil engineering is one of the best choices a student can make right now. The work to design and build infrastructure systems we rely on for public health, safety and welfare is rewarding, and employers are rewarding the important work civil engineers do to improve communities," said ASCE President Marsha Anderson-Bomar. "It is crucial everyone in the profession works to recruit, grow and retain the next generation of civil engineers to ensure we have successful infrastructure systems."
Recent infrastructure investment programs at federal, state and local levels of government have led to increased demand for civil engineers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that demand for civil engineers will grow by 5 percent between now and 2034. At the same time, a report from the Brookings Institution estimates 1.7 million infrastructure workers will leave their jobs each year, in large part due to people choosing to retire.
As the need for civil engineers grows, people in the profession are looking to advance their careers. The survey found that 6.9 percent of respondents changed jobs in the last year and received a median pay increase of 20 percent. Higher pay was the top reason people changed jobs (71.7 percent) followed by career advancement opportunities and new job responsibilities (both 61.8 percent).
Designing and building systems that promote public health, safety and welfare also is a very satisfying career, with 86.2 percent of survey respondents saying they are either satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs. Two-thirds (66 percent) of civil engineers surveyed say they are satisfied with their compensation, a 2.2 percent increase from last year's salary survey.
The ASCE Salary Report is released every fall, collected from responses of Society members about their jobs and financial compensation. This year's report is derived from 2,061 member responses at all stages of their career.
For more information, visit asce.org
