Civil Engineers Salary — Richmond, Virginia

The average Civil Engineers in Richmond, Virginia earns $99,540 a year.

$99,540 / year, mean
↓ 9.0% below national average 44th percentile in Virginia

Richmond sits roughly in the middle of the pack for this role within Virginia — neither a standout nor a laggard. That's noticeably below the national average for civil engineers, worth factoring into any relocation math. Cost of living here is close to the national average — not a major factor either way. This is a high-confidence estimate, based on a large sample of reported wages.

Percentile within Virginia

0th 50th 100th
Employment (this metro)
1,680
Estimate confidence
RSE 2.4%
Cost of living 98 #76 most expensive of 188 cities in this dataset 100 = U.S. average · Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
Crime index 1524 #67 safest of 188 cities in this dataset Per 100k residents · Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Median home value $397,705 #53 priciest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: zillow_real
Median household income $84,405 #39 highest of 188 cities in this dataset Source: Census Bureau ACS 5-year

Combining these four figures gives a fuller picture than salary alone: Richmond ranks #76 for cost of living and #53 for home prices among the 188 cities in this pilot dataset, which matters as much as the headline salary number when comparing where to live.

San Jose $137,910 San Francisco $136,350 Napa $130,620 Sacramento $129,650 Redding $124,340 Kennewick $123,530 Santa Rosa $122,750 New York $122,340 Vallejo $122,290 Santa Maria $121,890 Seattle $121,520 Walla Walla $120,280 Salinas $120,250 Los Angeles $120,120 San Diego $118,700 Portland $118,470 Stockton $118,400 Yuba City $118,150 Riverside $117,990 Santa Cruz $117,660 Fresno $117,260 Paducah $117,220 San Luis Obispo $117,040 Kingston $116,810 Midland $116,500 Salem $116,280 Bremerton $115,940 El Centro $115,550 Oxnard $115,230 Chico $114,880 Bellingham $114,570 Corvallis $113,650 Springfield $112,930 Visalia $112,700 Houston $111,370 Syracuse $111,180 Merced $111,130 Bloomington $111,030 Punta Gorda $110,880 Hanford $110,770 Bakersfield $110,540 Modesto $110,430 Olympia $110,200 Crestview $109,630 Albany $109,520 Hagerstown $109,440 Mount Vernon $109,410 Wenatchee $109,280 Palm Bay $109,240 Jackson $109,070 Louisville $108,370 Jacksonville $108,240 Kiryas Joel $108,150 Lexington $107,360 Panama City $107,180 Longview $107,160 Lexington Park $107,140 Baltimore $107,130 Tampa $107,100 Atlantic City $107,080 Binghamton $106,730 Chicago $106,540 Trenton $106,520 Austin $106,510 Corpus Christi $106,480 Orlando $106,330 Buffalo $105,980 Vineland $105,980 Winchester $105,860 Bay City $105,840 Philadelphia $105,810 Lynchburg $105,410 Beaumont $105,290 Spokane $105,280 Champaign $105,270 Yakima $105,160 Rochester $105,120 Bend $104,800 Indianapolis $104,140 Reading $103,700 Killeen $103,380 Port St. Lucie $103,260 Pittsburgh $102,710 Deltona $102,670 Elkhart $102,580 Allentown $102,460 Blacksburg $102,390 Gainesville $102,370 Midland $102,330 Bowling Green $102,270 Dallas $102,080 Kalamazoo $101,980 Naples $101,720 Ithaca $101,590 Dover $101,530 Decatur $101,270 South Bend $101,000 Peoria $100,970 Eugene $100,940 Charlottesville $100,720 Pensacola $100,130 Battle Creek $100,090 Staunton $99,590 Richmond $99,540 Miami $99,450 Ann Arbor $99,210 Owensboro $99,170 Weirton $98,930 Erie $98,780 Virginia Beach $98,600 Lancaster $98,580 Scranton $98,480 Fort Myers $98,470 Harrisburg $98,380 Medford $98,330 Watertown $98,260 Monroe $98,230 Sarasota $98,180 Albany $97,830 York $97,820 Tallahassee $97,580 Rockford $97,480 State College $97,430 Lansing $97,210 Chambersburg $96,850 Roanoke $96,700 Lakeland $96,430 Sebastian $96,230 San Antonio $96,180 Bloomington $95,850 Tyler $95,840 Utica $95,580 Huntington $95,540 Evansville $95,460 Glens Falls $95,380 Wildwood $95,110 Altoona $95,060 Elmira $95,020 Muskegon $95,010 Morgantown $94,770 Detroit $94,640 Niles $94,520 Odessa $94,400 Longview $94,350 Traverse City $94,260 Salisbury $94,230 Charleston $94,150 Grand Rapids $93,840 Williamsport $93,590 Fort Wayne $93,240 Ocala $93,050 Harrisonburg $92,720 Beckley $92,330 Sherman $92,300 Saginaw $92,130 Lubbock $91,790 Texarkana $91,760 Flint $91,500 Terre Haute $91,430 College Station $91,400 Johnstown $90,060 Lafayette $89,440 El Paso $89,050 McAllen $88,880 Wheeling $88,810 Victoria $88,250 Lebanon $88,200 Waco $87,020 Amarillo $86,290 Brownsville $84,950 Laredo $84,600 Wichita Falls $83,450 San Angelo $82,690 Michigan City $82,280 Abilene $81,460 Parkersburg $77,050
CityMean salaryvs. Richmond
Abilene, Texas$81,460-18.2%
Albany, Oregon$97,830-1.7%
Albany, New York$109,520+10.0%
Allentown, Pennsylvania$102,460+2.9%
Altoona, Pennsylvania$95,060-4.5%
Amarillo, Texas$86,290-13.3%
Ann Arbor, Michigan$99,210-0.3%
Atlantic City, New Jersey$107,080+7.6%
Austin, Texas$106,510+7.0%
Bakersfield, California$110,540+11.1%
Baltimore, Maryland$107,130+7.6%
Battle Creek, Michigan$100,090+0.6%
Bay City, Michigan$105,840+6.3%
Beaumont, Texas$105,290+5.8%
Beckley, West Virginia$92,330-7.2%
Bellingham, Washington$114,570+15.1%
Bend, Oregon$104,800+5.3%
Binghamton, New York$106,730+7.2%
Blacksburg, Virginia$102,390+2.9%
Bloomington, Illinois$95,850-3.7%
Bloomington, Indiana$111,030+11.5%
Bowling Green, Kentucky$102,270+2.7%
Bremerton, Washington$115,940+16.5%
Brownsville, Texas$84,950-14.7%
Buffalo, New York$105,980+6.5%
Fort Myers, Florida$98,470-1.1%
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania$96,850-2.7%
Champaign, Illinois$105,270+5.8%
Charleston, West Virginia$94,150-5.4%
Charlottesville, Virginia$100,720+1.2%
Chicago, Illinois$106,540+7.0%
Chico, California$114,880+15.4%
College Station, Texas$91,400-8.2%
Corpus Christi, Texas$106,480+7.0%
Corvallis, Oregon$113,650+14.2%
Crestview, Florida$109,630+10.1%
Dallas, Texas$102,080+2.6%
Decatur, Illinois$101,270+1.7%
Deltona, Florida$102,670+3.1%
Detroit, Michigan$94,640-4.9%
Dover, Delaware$101,530+2.0%
El Centro, California$115,550+16.1%
Elkhart, Indiana$102,580+3.1%
Elmira, New York$95,020-4.5%
El Paso, Texas$89,050-10.5%
Erie, Pennsylvania$98,780-0.8%
Eugene, Oregon$100,940+1.4%
Evansville, Indiana$95,460-4.1%
Flint, Michigan$91,500-8.1%
Fort Wayne, Indiana$93,240-6.3%
Fresno, California$117,260+17.8%
Gainesville, Florida$102,370+2.8%
Glens Falls, New York$95,380-4.2%
Grand Rapids, Michigan$93,840-5.7%
Hagerstown, Maryland$109,440+9.9%
Hanford, California$110,770+11.3%
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania$98,380-1.2%
Harrisonburg, Virginia$92,720-6.9%
Houston, Texas$111,370+11.9%
Huntington, West Virginia$95,540-4.0%
Indianapolis, Indiana$104,140+4.6%
Ithaca, New York$101,590+2.1%
Jackson, Michigan$109,070+9.6%
Jacksonville, Florida$108,240+8.7%
Johnstown, Pennsylvania$90,060-9.5%
Kalamazoo, Michigan$101,980+2.5%
Kennewick, Washington$123,530+24.1%
Killeen, Texas$103,380+3.9%
Kingston, New York$116,810+17.3%
Kiryas Joel, New York$108,150+8.6%
Lafayette, Indiana$89,440-10.1%
Lakeland, Florida$96,430-3.1%
Lancaster, Pennsylvania$98,580-1.0%
Lansing, Michigan$97,210-2.3%
Laredo, Texas$84,600-15.0%
Lebanon, Pennsylvania$88,200-11.4%
Lexington, Kentucky$107,360+7.9%
Lexington Park, Maryland$107,140+7.6%
Longview, Texas$94,350-5.2%
Longview, Washington$107,160+7.7%
Los Angeles, California$120,120+20.7%
Louisville, Kentucky$108,370+8.9%
Lubbock, Texas$91,790-7.8%
Lynchburg, Virginia$105,410+5.9%
McAllen, Texas$88,880-10.7%
Medford, Oregon$98,330-1.2%
Merced, California$111,130+11.6%
Miami, Florida$99,450-0.1%
Michigan City, Indiana$82,280-17.3%
Midland, Michigan$102,330+2.8%
Midland, Texas$116,500+17.0%
Modesto, California$110,430+10.9%
Monroe, Michigan$98,230-1.3%
Morgantown, West Virginia$94,770-4.8%
Mount Vernon, Washington$109,410+9.9%
Muskegon, Michigan$95,010-4.6%
Napa, California$130,620+31.2%
Naples, Florida$101,720+2.2%
New York, New York$122,340+22.9%
Niles, Michigan$94,520-5.0%
Sarasota, Florida$98,180-1.4%
Ocala, Florida$93,050-6.5%
Odessa, Texas$94,400-5.2%
Olympia, Washington$110,200+10.7%
Orlando, Florida$106,330+6.8%
Owensboro, Kentucky$99,170-0.4%
Oxnard, California$115,230+15.8%
Paducah, Kentucky$117,220+17.8%
Palm Bay, Florida$109,240+9.7%
Panama City, Florida$107,180+7.7%
Parkersburg, West Virginia$77,050-22.6%
Pensacola, Florida$100,130+0.6%
Peoria, Illinois$100,970+1.4%
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania$105,810+6.3%
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania$102,710+3.2%
Portland, Oregon$118,470+19.0%
Port St. Lucie, Florida$103,260+3.7%
Punta Gorda, Florida$110,880+11.4%
Reading, Pennsylvania$103,700+4.2%
Redding, California$124,340+24.9%
Riverside, California$117,990+18.5%
Roanoke, Virginia$96,700-2.9%
Rochester, New York$105,120+5.6%
Rockford, Illinois$97,480-2.1%
Sacramento, California$129,650+30.2%
Saginaw, Michigan$92,130-7.4%
Salem, Oregon$116,280+16.8%
Salinas, California$120,250+20.8%
Salisbury, Maryland$94,230-5.3%
San Angelo, Texas$82,690-16.9%
San Antonio, Texas$96,180-3.4%
San Diego, California$118,700+19.2%
San Francisco, California$136,350+37.0%
San Jose, California$137,910+38.5%
San Luis Obispo, California$117,040+17.6%
Santa Cruz, California$117,660+18.2%
Santa Maria, California$121,890+22.5%
Santa Rosa, California$122,750+23.3%
Scranton, Pennsylvania$98,480-1.1%
Seattle, Washington$121,520+22.1%
Sebastian, Florida$96,230-3.3%
Sherman, Texas$92,300-7.3%
South Bend, Indiana$101,000+1.5%
Spokane, Washington$105,280+5.8%
Springfield, Illinois$112,930+13.5%
State College, Pennsylvania$97,430-2.1%
Staunton, Virginia$99,590+0.1%
Stockton, California$118,400+18.9%
Syracuse, New York$111,180+11.7%
Tallahassee, Florida$97,580-2.0%
Tampa, Florida$107,100+7.6%
Terre Haute, Indiana$91,430-8.1%
Texarkana, Texas$91,760-7.8%
Traverse City, Michigan$94,260-5.3%
Trenton, New Jersey$106,520+7.0%
Tyler, Texas$95,840-3.7%
Utica, New York$95,580-4.0%
Vallejo, California$122,290+22.9%
Victoria, Texas$88,250-11.3%
Vineland, New Jersey$105,980+6.5%
Virginia Beach, Virginia$98,600-0.9%
Visalia, California$112,700+13.2%
Waco, Texas$87,020-12.6%
Walla Walla, Washington$120,280+20.8%
Watertown, New York$98,260-1.3%
Weirton, West Virginia$98,930-0.6%
Wenatchee, Washington$109,280+9.8%
Wheeling, West Virginia$88,810-10.8%
Wichita Falls, Texas$83,450-16.2%
Wildwood, Florida$95,110-4.5%
Williamsport, Pennsylvania$93,590-6.0%
Winchester, Virginia$105,860+6.3%
Yakima, Washington$105,160+5.6%
York, Pennsylvania$97,820-1.7%
Yuba City, California$118,150+18.7%
Gross salary
99,540/yr
Estimated take-home
73,947/yr
Est. total withheld
25.7%

Single filer, federal + Virginia state tax + FICA, 2025 rates. Does not include state-specific payroll withholdings beyond income tax (see Data transparency). Not tax advice — verify with a professional for your specific situation.

View cost of living in this state All Civil Engineers salaries in Virginia → All Civil Engineers salaries →
Data transparency

Sources used for this page

Official occupation and area metadata behind the visible salary, cost, housing and safety signals.

Occupation 17-2051 SOC code
Official area Richmond, VA BLS metro/geographic area
Area code 40060 Stable geographic key
Reference year 2025 BLS OEWS
Cost: bea_realHousing: zillow_realCrime: latest availableNet-pay source: va_tax_verificado 2025
No additional caveats are attached to this row.
Methodology

How this page is built

The salary figure is the mean annual wage reported by the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program for this occupation and metro area. Percentile and national-average comparisons are calculated directly from the 188 cities currently in this dataset, not from a fixed external benchmark. Cost of living, crime and housing figures come from BEA, FBI and Zillow respectively — see "Data transparency" above for the exact sources and reference years used on this specific page.

Confidence: the RSE (relative standard error) shown under Overview indicates how reliable the salary estimate is for this metro — a lower RSE means a larger underlying sample.

On this page

Where this is

AK HI

Highlighted: Virginia

Population (metro area)
1,327,321