Civil Engineers pay range in Detroit
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,000 a year or less, while the top 10% make $129,700 or more. The middle half of civil engineers in Detroit earn between $76,300 and $106,970.
- $64K10th
- $76K25th
- $93KMedian
- $107K75th
- $130K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $94,640 | $7,887 | $45.50 |
| Median | $92,550 | $7,712 | $44.50 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $76,300 | $6,358 | $36.68 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $106,970 | $8,914 | $51.43 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Civil Engineers salary after taxes in Detroit
On the average salary of $94,640, a single filer in Detroit takes home about $69,501 a year, or $5,792 a month and $2,673 every two weeks. Taxes take 27% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
Is Detroit a good place for civil engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Detroit area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 100.3), so the average $94,640 buys what about $94,359 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Detroit ($52,080). A typical home costs $269,080, or 2.8 years of this average salary before tax.
Civil Engineers salary in other Michigan cities
Detroit ranks 10th of 15 Michigan metro areas for this job; Jackson pays the most ($109,070).
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 Detroit: questions
How much do civil engineers make an hour in Detroit?
$45.50 an hour on average, and $44.50 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level civil engineers salary in Detroit?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $64,000 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,300, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the civil engineers take-home pay in Detroit?
About $69,501 a year ($5,792 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $94,640. Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
Do civil engineers earn more in Detroit than elsewhere?
The average here is 13% less 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 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (19820). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
- 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). Includes Detroit's local income tax (2.4%).
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.86, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
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