Civil Engineers pay range in El Centro
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $77,880 a year or less, while the top 10% make $162,860 or more. The middle half of civil engineers in El Centro earn between $95,490 and $133,550.
- $78K10th
- $95K25th
- $109KMedian
- $134K75th
- $163K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $115,550 | $9,629 | $55.55 |
| Median | $109,490 | $9,124 | $52.64 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $95,490 | $7,958 | $45.91 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $133,550 | $11,129 | $64.21 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Civil Engineers salary after taxes in El Centro
On the average salary of $115,550, a single filer in El Centro takes home about $83,465 a year, or $6,955 a month and $3,210 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is El Centro a good place for civil engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the El Centro area are 5% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 95.2), so the average $115,550 buys what about $121,409 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.4 times the median wage of all jobs in El Centro ($45,140). A typical home costs $379,330, or 3.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Civil Engineers salary in other California cities
El Centro ranks 18th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Jose pays the most ($137,910).
- San Jose$137,910
- San Francisco$136,350
- Napa$130,620
- Sacramento$129,650
- Redding$124,340
- Santa Rosa$122,750
- Vallejo$122,290
- Santa Maria$121,890
- Salinas$120,250
- El Centro$115,550
Highest-paying cities for civil engineers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($137,910).
- San Jose, CA$137,910
- San Francisco, CA$136,350
- Napa, CA$130,620
- Sacramento, CA$129,650
- Redding, CA$124,340
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Civil Engineers salary in El Centro: questions
How much do civil engineers make an hour in El Centro?
$55.55 an hour on average, and $52.64 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level civil engineers salary in El Centro?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $77,880 a year and the 25th percentile is $95,490, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the civil engineers take-home pay in El Centro?
About $83,465 a year ($6,955 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $115,550. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do civil engineers earn more in El Centro than elsewhere?
The average here is 6% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($109,384).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 17-2051; area El Centro, CA (20940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.5%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.75, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.75).
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