Talent Maps / Charlotte / Civil Engineers

Charlotte Civil Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What civil engineers earn in metro Charlotte, which firms and public owners employ them, where in the metro they work, and the highway, airport, transit and water projects competing for them.

Hiring civil engineers in Charlotte?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers civil engineers in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro area, which spans North and South Carolina. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and population data published from 2024 to 2026. Our civil engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Charlotte structural, mechanical and electrical engineer talent maps.

$102,370Median civil engineer pay in metro CharlotteBLS, May 2025

$164,990+What the top 10% of Charlotte civil engineers earnBLS, May 2025

54,122People added to metro Charlotte in one year, the fifth most of any US metroCensus Bureau, 2026

$3.2BI-77 South express lanes, revived by local votes in September 2026NCDOT

$1BFourth parallel runway at Charlotte Douglas, due to open in September 2027CLT Airport

$19.4BExpected over 30 years from Mecklenburg’s new transportation sales taxCATS, 2025

Civil engineer salaries in Charlotte

The median civil engineer in metro Charlotte earns $102,370 a year, $1,640 above the North Carolina median of $100,730 and $1,530 above the national median of $100,840. Charlotte also leads at the top. Its 90th percentile is $164,990, against $160,520 statewide. The hourly median is $49.22.

Annual pay percentile	Charlotte metro	North Carolina	United States
10th percentile	$73,790	$70,760	$68,240
25th percentile	$79,280	$79,140	$79,930
Median	$102,370	$100,730	$100,840
75th percentile	$129,680	$125,730	$129,680
90th percentile	$164,990	$160,520	$163,220

Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Civil engineering technicians, the drafters, inspectors and field techs who support design teams, earn a median of $50,250 in Charlotte, below the North Carolina median of $58,700. Pay ranges from $42,130 at the 10th percentile to $77,480 at the 90th.

What the spread means in practice: Charlotte pays slightly more than Raleigh, where the median is $101,440, and slightly more than the state and the nation. Several firms here, including Urban Design Partners and McKim & Creed, also have Raleigh offices, so experienced engineers often compare offers across the two metros.

Where Charlotte’s civil engineers work

Charlotte-area design firms

LandDesign was founded in Charlotte in 1978 and had 270 people in five US offices in 2024. Its Charlotte work is close to an even split between landscape architecture and civil engineering, and its engineers have been embedded in the city’s stormwater department since 2019.

Urban Design Partners does civil engineering, landscape architecture and planning from offices in Charlotte and Raleigh. ESP Associates, founded in 1986, is headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, inside the Charlotte metro.

State and national firms

Kimley-Horn has offices in Charlotte and Lake Norman. McKim & Creed, founded in Wilmington in 1978, offers site civil, water, wastewater and subsurface utility engineering from its Charlotte office.

On the airport’s runway program, RS&H, AECOM, Kimley-Horn and STV are engineers of record. HDR led early design of the Red Line, and WSP leads Silver Line design with STV. Bohler’s Charlotte office on South Tryon Street focuses on land development.

Public owners

NCDOT Division 10 covers Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Stanly and Union counties. Charlotte Water serves an estimated 1.2 million people in Mecklenburg County and runs six wastewater plants and three water plants.

The Charlotte Department of Transportation, CATS and the airport also run large capital programs.

Geotechnical, testing and construction

S&ME’s Charlotte office, opened in 1983, does geotechnical engineering, materials testing and inspection, and keeps a project concrete lab at the airport.

Hi-Way Paving and E.S. Wagner built the airport’s north end-around taxiway, and Ames Construction is building the south one.

Where the talent sits: Charlotte submarkets

Uptown and Center City

TransportationTransit

I-77 South would rebuild the corridor from I-277 to the South Carolina line, and CATS plans to bring the Red Line into Uptown and the planned Charlotte Gateway Station.

West Charlotte and the airport

AviationEarthwork

The fourth runway program has moved about 6.52 million cubic yards of earth and relocated a mile of West Boulevard, designed by STV.

South Charlotte and Ballantyne

Transportation

The I-485 Express Lanes opened on February 28, 2026, adding one express lane each way for about 17 miles between I-77 and US 74.

North Mecklenburg and Lake Norman

TransitLand development

The planned Red Line commuter rail uses a 25-mile corridor the city bought from Norfolk Southern, running north to Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson. Kimley-Horn’s Lake Norman office is in Mooresville.

Union County

Land developmentUtilities

Union County reached an estimated 267,674 residents in 2025, more than 12% above its 2020 count. Atrium Health is adding a $116 million tower to its Union West hospital.

What’s driving demand for civil engineers in Charlotte

I-77 South Express Lanes. NCDOT’s $3.2 billion plan covers 11 miles from I-277 to the South Carolina line, with elevated express lanes and rebuilt interchanges. Local planners pulled support on May 20, 2026, then restored it on September 23, 2026, after Charlotte City Council voted 7-4 and NCDOT committed at least $300 million in community benefits. It is planned as a public-private partnership, and construction is not expected until later in the decade.
Fourth parallel runway. The $1 billion, 10,000-foot runway was about 53% paved in September 2026 and is due to open in September 2027. It is part of the roughly $4 billion Destination CLT program, which next includes a $405 million south ramp expansion.
Transportation sales tax. Mecklenburg voters approved a one-cent sales tax on November 4, 2025, with more than 52% in favor. It is expected to raise $19.4 billion over 30 years, split 40% roads, 40% rail and 20% bus.
Rail lines. The tax funds the Red Line commuter rail, the Silver Line light rail from the airport to Bojangles Coliseum, a Blue Line extension to Pineville and a longer Gold Line. Red Line environmental work and 30% design were set to start in summer 2026.
I-485 Express Lanes. The 17-mile project between I-77 and US 74 opened on February 28, 2026, with final work continuing near E. John Street and Weddington Road.
Water and wastewater. Charlotte Water’s 2026 capital plan includes $316.1 million for wastewater and $116.4 million for water.
Growth. Metro Charlotte reached 2,938,830 people in July 2025. Mecklenburg County added 26,554 people in a year, the seventh most of any US county.

Civil specialties tied to these projects

Transportation and roadway design for I-77 South and the road share of the sales tax.
Bridge and highway structures engineers for the elevated I-77 South lanes.
Aviation civil engineers for the runway, taxiways and south ramp at Charlotte Douglas.
Transit and rail engineers for the Red Line, Silver Line and Blue Line extension.
Water, wastewater and stormwater engineers for Charlotte Water and the city’s storm water program.
Geotechnical engineers and materials testing staff for highway, airport and rail work.
Site and land development engineers for growth in Union, Cabarrus and York counties.

The talent pipeline

UNC Charlotte. UNC Charlotte’s BS in civil engineering is ABET-accredited. Its faculty and students are working with the airport on a $6.5 million sensor and digital twin program for the new runway.
NC State University. NC State, in Raleigh, says its engineering programs are ABET-accredited, and it runs an FE exam review course for seniors.
Data centers. Large data center sites also need site civil engineers. See our North Carolina data centers page.
Licensing. Senior roles usually require a North Carolina PE license, issued by the North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors. With an ABET-accredited engineering degree, applicants need four years of progressive experience.

What this means if you’re hiring

Expect Raleigh to compete. Raleigh’s median of $101,440 is within $930 of Charlotte’s, and several firms work in both cities.
Price senior roles at the 75th percentile. For licensed PEs, plan on $129,680 or higher, the same as the national 75th percentile.
Aviation and transit work runs for years. The runway opens in 2027, I-77 South construction comes later in the decade and the sales tax runs for 30 years.
Build from UNC Charlotte. It is the main local source of new civil graduates.

Need civil engineers in Charlotte?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place civil, transportation, water and site development engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 919.710.8098 or see our Charlotte engineering recruiters page.

Hire civil engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do civil engineers make in Charlotte?

The median civil engineer salary in metro Charlotte is $102,370 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $79,280 and $129,680, and the top 10% earn $164,990 or more.

Do civil engineers earn more in Charlotte or Raleigh?

Charlotte, by a small margin. Its median is $102,370, against $101,440 in Raleigh. Both are above the national median of $100,840. See our Raleigh civil engineer talent map.

Who hires civil engineers in Charlotte?

Local design firms such as LandDesign, Urban Design Partners and ESP Associates, state and national firms such as Kimley-Horn, McKim & Creed, Bohler, RS&H, AECOM, STV and HDR, testing firms such as S&ME, and public owners such as NCDOT, Charlotte Water, CATS and the airport.

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