Salary report · Houston, TX

What is the average Civil Engineer salary in Houston, TX?

Civil Engineers in Houston earn a median of $99,700 per year — about 4% above the national average. Pay ranges from $71,800 (25th percentile) to $154,500 (90th percentile).

25th percentile
$71,800
Median
$99,700
75th percentile
$127,600
90th percentile
$154,500
YoY change
+5.1%

Civil Engineer salary by experience level

Entry · 0–2 yrs
$64,800
Mid · 3–5 yrs
$99,700
Senior · 6–8 yrs
$127,600
Lead · 8+ yrs
$144,600

How Houston pay compares

Houston median$99,700
National median$95,890
Cost-of-living adjusted(COL index 96)$103,900

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

5-year salary trend

$82K
2022
$86K
2023
$90K
2024
$95K
2025
$100K
2026

Trend extrapolated from BLS May 2024 BLS OEWS OEWS data using the latest year-over-year growth rate of 5.1%.

Civil Engineer job market in Houston

Houston is dominated by energy, healthcare and aerospace. Texas has no state income tax, which boosts effective take-home pay vs coastal cities.

An estimated 8,100 civil engineers work in the Houston metro. Daily responsibilities typically include:

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

Related job salaries in Houston

Civil Engineer salary in other cities

FAQ

How much does a Civil Engineer make in Houston, TX?+

Civil Engineers in Houston earn a median of $99,700 per year — about 4% above the national average of $95,890.

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

Entry-level Civil Engineers in Houston typically earn around $64,800 per year. Salaries scale to about $144,600 at the senior level with 8+ years of experience.

Is $99,700 a good Civil Engineer salary in Houston?+

$99,700 is the median, meaning half of Civil Engineers in Houston earn more and half earn less. Adjusted for the city's cost-of-living index of 96, that's roughly $103,900 in nationally-equivalent purchasing power.

How fast is Civil Engineer pay growing in Houston?+

Civil Engineer salaries in Houston grew about 5.1% year-over-year in the latest BLS data. The 10-year national outlook for this role is +5%.

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

The 90th percentile Civil Engineer salary in Houston is around $154,500. These typically include senior, lead, or specialist roles at major employers.

Are you being paid fairly in Houston?

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

Check my salary →

Stay Ahead With RealProfits

Get practical insights, new tools, and smarter ways to think about money, work, and your future.