National Salary Info » Civil Engineers

Highest Paying Industries for Civil Engineers

The top 100 highest paying industries for civil engineers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $116,450, oil and gas extraction is the highest paying industry for civil engineers. It is followed by accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services industry (average annual salary $107,090). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of civil engineers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Civil Engineers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Oil and Gas Extraction	$116,450	$69,350	560
2	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$107,090	$54,320	30
3	Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations	$103,260	$66,230	70
4	Other Pipeline Transportation	$103,000	$75,480	90
5	Wholesale Electronic Markets and Agents and Brokers	$102,710	$61,800	n/a
6	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$102,100	$64,760	480
7	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations	$98,970	$60,910	80
8	Waste Treatment and Disposal	$98,810	$72,370	580
9	Pipeline Transportation	$97,440	$63,040	350
10	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$95,640	$57,610	n/a
11	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$95,070	$53,450	140
12	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$94,890	$62,430	860
13	Temporary Help Services	$94,720	$56,310	3,220
14	Employment Services	$94,390	$56,020	3,650
15	Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)	$93,950	$58,010	130
16	Computer Systems Design and Related Services	$93,910	$62,690	400
17	Waste Management and Remediation Services	$93,750	$64,630	1,150
18	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$93,300	$66,950	100
19	Amusement Parks and Arcades	$93,130	$54,260	70
20	Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	$93,090	$60,940	210
21	Natural Gas Distribution	$92,740	$60,070	530
22	Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	$92,610	$58,370	5,970
23	Administrative and Support Services	$92,330	$57,030	4,810
24	Land Subdivision	$92,200	$58,890	350
25	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries	$91,600	$48,550	70
26	Water, Sewage and Other Systems	$91,110	$56,950	480
27	Utilities	$90,790	$60,600	2,190
28	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$90,370	$56,550	570
29	Federal government, including USPS	$90,340	$65,180	9,650
30	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$90,340	$65,180	9,650
31	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$90,120	$62,600	1,170
32	Mining	$89,850	$53,060	1,250
33	Scientific Research and Development Services	$89,290	$55,330	610
34	Repair and Maintenance	$88,880	$56,270	50
35	Management of Companies and Enterprises	$88,240	$54,200	2,430
36	Transportation and Warehousing	$86,990	$55,970	1,110
37	Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing	$86,620	$45,120	n/a
38	Wood Product Manufacturing	$86,410	$46,070	120
39	Metal Ore Mining	$86,230	$65,490	80
40	Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	$86,200	$50,950	5,260
41	Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$85,820	$55,550	28,130
42	Local government, including schools and hospitals	$85,750	$55,530	28,310
43	Specialized Design Services	$85,750	$52,310	60
44	Chemical Manufacturing	$85,730	$56,260	200
45	Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	$85,680	$50,760	100
46	Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	$84,690	$53,920	630
47	Waste Collection	$84,440	$64,700	n/a
48	Remediation and Other Waste Management Services	$84,260	$59,310	530
49	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$84,130	$53,490	270
50	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$83,590	$52,430	120
51	Federal, State, and Local Government (OES Designation)	$83,410	$54,570	72,340
52	Federal, State, and Local Government	$83,410	$54,570	72,340
53	Hospitals - Privately owned	$83,280	$52,510	130
54	Public sector -- Federal, state, and local government, including government owned schools and hospit	$83,270	$54,300	73,770
55	Mining (except Oil and Gas)	$83,260	$55,080	150
56	Wholesale Trade	$83,090	$48,930	820
57	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$82,280	$59,190	70
58	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	$81,950	$54,670	n/a
59	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$81,910	$52,140	144,210
60	Manufacturing	$81,860	$53,170	3,510
61	Engineering Services	$81,830	$52,180	129,090
62	Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	$81,680	$52,170	137,560
63	Hospitals - State government owned	$81,160	$56,470	40
64	Other Telecommunications	$81,060	$53,790	70
65	Coal Mining	$81,030	$44,290	40
66	Health Care and Social Assistance	$80,910	$51,580	190
67	Utility System Construction	$80,620	$52,340	1,940
68	Communications Equipment Manufacturing	$80,590	$51,400	n/a
69	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$80,580	$51,460	180
70	Building Equipment Contractors	$80,360	$53,260	1,510
71	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$80,180	$62,750	70
72	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$79,880	$51,770	170
73	Support Activities for Transportation	$79,800	$60,640	40
74	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$79,560	$52,490	n/a
75	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$79,340	$52,130	n/a
76	Educational Services - Privately owned	$79,170	$50,210	210
77	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Local government owned	$79,130	$54,120	100
78	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$79,010	$50,030	210
79	Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors	$78,940	$52,220	690
80	Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors	$78,930	$51,940	1,170
81	Elementary and Secondary Schools	$78,880	$56,040	120
82	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	$78,780	$51,580	6,740
83	State Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OES Designation)	$78,330	$51,540	34,560
84	Rail Transportation	$78,330	$51,860	420
85	Building Finishing Contractors	$78,140	$44,830	40
86	Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	$78,120	$49,180	290
87	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - State government owned	$77,900	$59,450	30
88	State government, including schools and hospitals	$77,860	$50,960	35,810
89	Educational Services - Local government owned	$77,550	$55,940	160
90	Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	$77,500	$64,920	n/a
91	Specialty Trade Contractors	$77,330	$51,310	3,520
92	Facilities Support Services	$77,140	$50,800	90
93	Testing Laboratories	$76,050	$49,980	1,460
94	Residential Building Construction	$76,010	$49,290	1,050
95	Cement and Concrete Product Manufacturing	$75,890	$56,190	260
96	Junior Colleges (including private, state, and local government schools)	$75,750	$60,850	60
97	Construction	$75,680	$51,150	25,780
98	Junior colleges - Local government owned	$75,620	$59,910	50
99	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	$75,610	$50,200	2,720
100	Other Support Services	$75,280	$55,380	110