SOC 17-2051 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Civil Engineers — Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 10 metro areas compared
The median wage for Civil Engineers in Pennsylvania is $97,850 per year, close to the national median of $100,840 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.0%
- Openings per year
- 23,600
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Pennsylvania.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
The median wage for Civil Engineers in Pennsylvania is $97,850 per year, close to the national median of $100,840 for the same occupation. Half of workers earn between $77,920 and $122,320. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $67,930 and the ninetieth at $141,310.
Employment stands at 15,870, or 2.6 jobs per thousand held locally. Pennsylvania ranks number 32nd out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Pittsburgh records the highest median at $100,680. Of the 778 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 119th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $67,930 | −32.6% |
| 25th | $77,920 | −22.7% |
| Median (50th) | $97,850 | −3.0% |
| 75th | $122,320 | +21.3% |
| 90th | $141,310 | +40.1% |
| Mean | $100,750 | −0.1% |
Highest-paying metro areas in Pennsylvania
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pittsburgh | $100,680 | 4,210 | |
| 2 | Philadelphia | $99,410 | 6,160 | |
| 3 | Reading | $98,890 | 320 | |
| 4 | Allentown | $98,760 | 600 | |
| 5 | Lancaster | $97,780 | 540 | |
| 6 | State College | $96,110 | 160 | |
| 7 | Scranton | $95,730 | 450 | |
| 8 | York | $95,040 | 400 | |
| 9 | Harrisburg | $93,830 | 1,370 | |
| 10 | Altoona | $93,680 | 220 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2.4% below the national average, so the median of $97,850 goes as far as $100,256 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 0.6% below the national median in real terms.
Published median
$97,850as reported by BLSLocal price level
97.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$100,256US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $97,850 a year, 3.0% below the national median.
- Published pay spans $67,930 to $141,310 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 15,870 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 32nd of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Pittsburgh, at $100,680.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Civil Engineers in Pennsylvania?
The median annual wage is $97,850, or $47.04 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $100,840, so pay in Pennsylvania is 3.0% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Pennsylvania earns more than $141,310 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $67,930 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Pittsburgh, at $100,680 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 15,870 jobs in this occupation in Pennsylvania. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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