Talent Maps / Tampa / Civil Engineers

Tampa Civil Engineer Talent Map (2026)

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

Hiring civil engineers in Tampa?

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 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area, which spans Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project data published from 2024 to 2026. Our civil engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Tampa structural, mechanical and electrical engineer talent maps.

$100,570Median civil engineer pay in metro TampaBLS, May 2025

$170,110+What the top 10% of Tampa civil engineers earnBLS, May 2025

$973.4MHoward Frankland Bridge replacement, due to finish in late 2026FDOT

$500MSouth Hillsborough Pipeline, 26 miles carrying 65 million gallons a dayTampa Bay Times, 2026

$1.52BAirside D at Tampa International Airport, opening in 2029Business Observer, 2026

$2.3BProposed Rays ballpark on the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campusBusiness Observer, 2026

Civil engineer salaries in Tampa

The median civil engineer in metro Tampa earns $100,570 a year, $2,000 above the Florida median of $98,570 and $270 below the national median of $100,840. The top of the market is where Tampa stands out. Its 90th percentile is $170,110, against $166,680 statewide and $163,220 nationally. The bottom is weaker: the 25th percentile of $75,440 is $4,490 below the national figure. The hourly median is $48.35.

Annual pay percentile	Tampa metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$71,630	$58,640	$68,240
25th percentile	$75,440	$76,740	$79,930
Median	$100,570	$98,570	$100,840
75th percentile	$130,910	$128,450	$129,680
90th percentile	$170,110	$166,680	$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 $75,070 in Tampa. That is well above the Florida median of $63,410 and the national median of $64,950. Pay ranges from $45,600 at the 10th percentile to $101,390 at the 90th.

What the spread means in practice: Tampa pays almost exactly what Orlando does, where the civil median is $100,740, a gap of $170. Orlando’s 90th percentile of $165,320 is $4,790 below Tampa’s, so Tampa pays more for the most senior engineers. Both metros sit about $2,000 above the state median, and firms with offices in both cities often compare offers across I-4.

Where Tampa’s civil engineers work

Design firms

Kimley-Horn’s Tampa office at 201 North Franklin Street covers roadway and bridge design, water and wastewater utilities, development services and transit consulting. Its team worked on the 2.5-mile Tampa Riverwalk.

On the Water Street Tampa residential tower announced in July 2026, Kimley-Horn is the civil engineer.

Public owners

FDOT District 7 covers Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. In April 2026 it awarded a five-year, $31 million contract to run the regional traffic management center.

Tampa Bay Water supplies the region and is building a $500 million pipeline and a $181 million plant expansion. The City of Tampa funds wastewater work through its $3 billion PIPES program.

Contractors and program teams

Archer Western and Traylor Bros. built the Howard Frankland Bridge as a joint venture. Tampa-based Prince Contracting holds the $340 million I-275 express lanes contract in Pinellas County.

CDM Smith is leading construction of the Tampa Bay Water plant expansion. Hensel Phelps leads the design-build team for Airside D.

Ports and airports

Tampa International Airport is building the 16-gate Airside D. Port Tampa Bay received a $24 million federal grant in April 2026 toward a $40 million berth extension at Port Redwing in Gibsonton.

Where the talent sits: Tampa submarkets

Downtown Tampa and Water Street

Land developmentVertical civil

Strategic Property Partners has a 452-unit, 400-foot tower planned at Water Street Tampa, with a spring 2027 start and late 2029 completion, as part of a nearly $1 billion investment plan.

Westshore and the airport

AviationRoadway

Airside D at Tampa International Airport began construction in December 2024 and is scheduled to open in 2029. The airport expects about 35 million passengers a year by 2037, up from about 25 million in 2024.

Pinellas County

TransportationBridges

The I-275 express lanes project adds two tolled lanes each way over 7.5 miles, rebuilds four interchanges and modifies 14 bridges. Full completion is expected in late 2030.

South Hillsborough

WaterMarine

The South Hillsborough Pipeline tunnels under the Alafia River, and Port Redwing in Gibsonton is extending Berth 300 by about 800 feet.

Pasco County

Land developmentUtilities

Pasco has about 650,000 residents and grew about 15% in five years, with new homes and apartments along State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel.

What’s driving demand for civil engineers in Tampa

Howard Frankland Bridge. The $973.4 million project spans 5.8 miles from 4th Street in Pinellas to State Road 60 in Hillsborough. Work began in spring 2020 and FDOT lists completion for late 2026.
I-275 express lanes in Pinellas. The $340 million, 7.5-mile project was announced as part of the state’s Moving Florida Forward program in August 2025. FDOT says it and the bridge together should cut delays by up to 85%.
Water supply. Tampa Bay Water’s South Hillsborough Pipeline is a $500 million, 26-mile project for 65 million gallons a day. Its plant expansion adds 12.5 million gallons a day by 2028 for $181 million.
Wastewater. The City of Tampa is spending $280 million on the Howard F. Curren plant, including new digesters, seven new main pump station pumps and flood resilience work, and has put more than $700 million into wastewater since 2019.
Airport and stadium. Airside D costs $1.52 billion. On August 28, 2026, Hillsborough commissioners voted 5 to 2 to commit $796 million to the $2.3 billion Rays ballpark, which is set to open in 2029.
College campus rebuild. Hillsborough College plans a $215 million redevelopment of its Dale Mabry campus alongside the ballpark.

Civil specialties tied to these projects

Transportation and bridge engineers for FDOT District 7 corridors and the express lane work in Pinellas.
Water and wastewater engineers for Tampa Bay Water, the City of Tampa and the county utilities.
Aviation civil engineers for Airside D and the airport’s apron and utility work.
Site and stormwater engineers for growth in Pasco and south Hillsborough and for flood resilience after the 2024 hurricanes.
Port and marine engineers for berth, dock and cargo yard work at Port Tampa Bay.

The talent pipeline

University of South Florida. USF’s College of Engineering has more than 3,500 students and seven ABET-accredited bachelor’s programs, including civil engineering. It reported $46.9 million in research spending in 2024 to 2025.
Neighboring metros. Florida’s growth means many firms recruit across metros. See our expanding into Florida guide.
Licensing. Senior roles usually require a Florida PE license from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers. The path is the FE exam, four years of experience with an engineering degree, then the PE exam.

What this means if you’re hiring

Price senior roles above the national line. Tampa’s 90th percentile of $170,110 is $6,890 above the US figure, so plan on $130,910 or more for licensed PEs and more for project managers.
Expect Orlando to compete. Its median of $100,740 is within $170 of Tampa’s, and many firms work in both.
Budget for technicians too. Tampa technicians earn $75,070, so support staff are not cheap to replace.
Match offers to long projects. The bridge finishes in 2026, but the I-275 work runs to 2030, the airport to 2029 and the pipeline and plant through at least 2028.

Need civil engineers in Tampa?

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 813.701.2797 or see our Tampa engineering recruiters page.

Hire civil engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do civil engineers make in Tampa?

The median civil engineer salary in metro Tampa is $100,570 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $75,440 and $130,910, and the top 10% earn $170,110 or more.

Do civil engineers earn more in Tampa or Orlando?

About the same. Orlando’s median is $100,740, $170 above Tampa’s $100,570, but Tampa’s 90th percentile is higher at $170,110 against $165,320. See our Orlando civil engineer talent map.

Who hires civil engineers in Tampa?

Design firms such as Kimley-Horn, contractors such as Archer Western, Traylor Bros. and Prince Contracting, program firms such as CDM Smith, and public owners such as FDOT District 7, Tampa Bay Water, the City of Tampa, Tampa International Airport and Port Tampa Bay.

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