Civil Engineer Salary in North Carolina (2026)
Typical pay is $100,730 a year, with most civil engineers in North Carolina earning between $79,140 and $125,730. Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Salary Calculator›Civil Engineer›North Carolina
The typical civil engineer in North Carolina earns $100,730 a year, about the same as the national median. Early-career pay starts around $79,140, experienced civil engineers earn $125,730 or more, and the top 10% make over $160,520. About 12,810 people work in this occupation in North Carolina.
Civil Engineer salary in North Carolina
Annual pay, BLS survey of May 2025
What civil engineers do
Civil engineers plan and design infrastructure: roads, bridges, site development, water and wastewater systems, and the structures that support buildings. They work for consulting firms, contractors and public agencies. Most hold a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, and a PE license is needed to approve plans, which is one of the biggest drivers of pay in the field.
Civil Engineer pay by metro area in North Carolina
Typical annual pay in each North Carolina metro area where BLS publishes figures for civil engineers.
| Metro area | Typical | Early career | Experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $102,370 | $79,280 | $129,680 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $101,440 | $79,840 | $127,280 |
| Burlington, NC | $100,220 | $79,110 | $127,880 |
| Asheville, NC | $100,170 | $77,540 | $124,080 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $96,080 | $82,290 | $118,730 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $95,800 | $72,060 | $125,730 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $94,720 | $73,640 | $110,980 |
| Wilmington, NC | $94,450 | $79,140 | $106,910 |
| Greenville, NC | $94,410 | $70,690 | $106,910 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $93,940 | $79,240 | $125,730 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $93,460 | $75,400 | $106,620 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $90,070 | $74,730 | $120,780 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $85,490 | $69,720 | $124,450 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $84,170 | $75,830 | $113,140 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $75,620 | $64,150 | $111,050 |
| United States | $100,840 | $79,930 | $129,680 |
Other engineering, design and supply chain salaries in North Carolina
| Role | Typical |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineer | $100,720 |
| Electrical Engineer | $110,130 |
| Controls Engineer | $110,130 |
| Process Engineer | $117,410 |
| Industrial Engineer | $99,310 |
| Aerospace Engineer | $122,930 |
| Environmental Engineer | $99,440 |
| Engineering Manager | $167,840 |
| Construction Manager | $106,640 |
| Architect | $95,700 |
| CAD Designer | $62,750 |
| Mechanical Designer | $59,050 |
| Supply Chain Analyst | $80,780 |
| Buyer | $75,880 |
| Software Developer | $134,710 |
Civil Engineer salary FAQs
How much does a civil engineer make in North Carolina?
The typical (median) civil engineer in North Carolina earns $100,730 a year, or about $48.43 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Half earn more and half earn less.
What is the entry-level salary for a civil engineer in North Carolina?
Early-career civil engineers in North Carolina typically earn around $79,140 (the 25th percentile), and the lowest-paid 10% earn under $70,760. Degree, internships, licenses and the industry all move starting pay.
How much do experienced civil engineers earn in North Carolina?
Experienced civil engineers in North Carolina earn $125,730 or more (the 75th percentile), and the top 10% earn over $160,520.
Do civil engineers earn more in North Carolina than the national average?
The typical civil engineer in North Carolina earns about the same as the national median of $100,840. Prices in North Carolina are 5.7% below the US average (BEA, 2024), so the same salary goes a little further there.
Are civil engineers in demand?
BLS projects employment in this occupation to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% for all jobs, with about 22,700 openings a year nationally as people retire, change jobs or the field grows.
Hiring civil engineers in North Carolina?
Where these numbers come from
Pay figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (OEWS), which surveys about 1.1 million employer locations and is the government's main source of pay by occupation and location. This page uses the May 2025 survey, released in 2026, and updates itself when BLS publishes the next year's figures. Job outlook comes from the BLS Employment Projections for 2025–35. Cost of living comes from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities for 2024, where the US average is 100.
Pay is base wages and salary before tax. It does not include bonuses, overtime, benefits or equity. Early career is the 25th percentile (a quarter of workers earn less), Typical is the median and Experienced is the 75th percentile. The bar shows the full range from the 10th to the 90th percentile. The salary rank check estimates a percentile by drawing straight lines between those five published points.
BLS groups some job titles together. Controls engineers, for example, are counted with electrical engineers, and CAD designers with drafters. Each result names the BLS occupation it uses so you can see exactly what is being measured. BLS does not publish every occupation in every area, for example when too few people in a job were surveyed or when a figure does not meet its reliability standards. When a metro figure is missing, the calculator shows the state figure, or the national figure if the state is also missing, and says so.
BLS occupation used on this page: Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051).