Civil Engineers pay range in Philadelphia
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $75,830 a year or less, while the top 10% make $147,960 or more. The middle half of civil engineers in Philadelphia earn between $81,430 and $127,410.
- $76K10th
- $81K25th
- $99KMedian
- $127K75th
- $148K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $105,810 | $8,818 | $50.87 |
| Median | $99,410 | $8,284 | $47.79 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $81,430 | $6,786 | $39.15 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $127,410 | $10,618 | $61.25 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Civil Engineers salary after taxes in Philadelphia
On the average salary of $105,810, a single filer in Philadelphia takes home about $80,019 a year, or $6,668 a month and $3,078 every two weeks. Taxes take 24% of gross pay.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:
| State | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Working in PA | $80,019 | $6,668 |
| Working in NJ | $78,717 | $6,560 |
| Working in MD | $78,447 | $6,537 |
| Working in DE | $77,515 | $6,460 |
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Is Philadelphia a good place for civil engineers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Philadelphia area are 3% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 102.6), so the average $105,810 buys what about $103,175 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Philadelphia ($54,310). A typical home costs $390,463, or 3.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Civil Engineers salary in other Pennsylvania cities
Philadelphia ranks 1st of 15 Pennsylvania metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Philadelphia$105,810
- Reading$103,700
- Pittsburgh$102,710
- Allentown$102,460
- Erie$98,780
- Lancaster$98,580
- Scranton$98,480
- Harrisburg$98,380
- York$97,820
- State College$97,430
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
Does this match what you are paid?
Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.
Share your pay anonymously
Civil Engineers salary in Philadelphia: questions
How much do civil engineers make an hour in Philadelphia?
$50.87 an hour on average, and $47.80 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level civil engineers salary in Philadelphia?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $75,830 a year and the 25th percentile is $81,430, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the civil engineers take-home pay in Philadelphia?
About $80,019 a year ($6,668 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $105,810. Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
Do civil engineers earn more in Philadelphia than elsewhere?
The average here is 3% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD (37980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 3.3%.
- 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). Local earned income taxes (for example Philadelphia's wage tax) are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.90, this job is about as common as in the U.S. overall.
Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.