Salary report · Denver, CO

What is the average Civil Engineer salary in Denver, CO?

Civil Engineers in Denver earn a median of $105,500 per year — about 10% above the national average. Pay ranges from $76,000 (25th percentile) to $163,500 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$76,000
Median
$105,500
75th percentile
$135,000
90th percentile
$163,500
YoY change
+4.7%

Civil Engineer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$68,600
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$105,500
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$135,000
Lead · 8+ yrs
$153,000

How Denver pay compares

Denver median$105,500
National median$95,890
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 121)$87,200

Cost-of-living adjusted is the Denver salary translated into equivalent purchasing power vs the US average (COL index 100). Useful for comparing offers across cities.

5-year salary trend

$88K
2022
$92K
2023
$96K
2024
$101K
2025
$106K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 4.7%.

Civil Engineer job market in Denver

Denver is a fast-growing tech and aerospace hub. Cost of living has risen but remains below coastal cities; Colorado state tax is a flat 4.4%.

An estimated 2,500 civil engineers work in the Denver metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:

  • Design infrastructure
  • Review construction plans
  • Conduct site inspections
  • Calculate load and stress
  • Prepare cost estimates

Related job salaries in Denver

Civil Engineer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a Civil Engineer make in Denver, CO?+

Civil Engineers in Denver earn a median of $105,500 per year — about 10% above the national average of $95,890.

What's the entry-level Civil Engineer salary in Denver?+

Entry-level Civil Engineers in Denver typically earn around $68,600 per year. Salaries scale to about $153,000 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $105,500 a good Civil Engineer salary in Denver?+

$105,500 is the median, meaning half of Civil Engineers in Denver earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 121, that's roughly $87,200 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is Civil Engineer pay growing in Denver?+

Civil Engineer salaries in Denver grew about 4.7% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +5%.

Where do Civil Engineers in Denver get paid the most?+

The 90th percentile Civil Engineer salary in Denver is around $163,500. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in Denver?

Run a free comparison against BLS data — see if your salary is below, at, or above the Denver median.

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