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Civil Engineers salary in Fresno, CA

Median pay for civil engineers in Fresno, CA: $108,570/yr

Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $71,930 – $156,750 · about 1,060 employed locally

Above the typical metro median ($88,630) by +$19,940 (+22%).

What it's really worth in Fresno

With Fresno's cost of living at 104 (US=100), that $108,570 has the buying power of about $104,390 in an average-cost US metro.

Local context: median household income $67,756 · median home $409,749 · median rent $2,020/mo.

Full Fresno cost of living & taxes →

How Fresno ranks for this job

On raw pay, Fresno, CA is 5th of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Fresno's cost of living is applied, it ranks 21st.

Pay and living costs are roughly in step here, so Fresno sits in much the same place whether you look at raw salary or spending power.

What that salary buys in Fresno

A median home in Fresno, CA costs $409,749 — about 3.8× this salary, against a typical US metro figure of 4.7×. Buying is more attainable here than in the average metro on this income.

Median rent of $2,020/mo works out at 22% of gross pay — inside the conventional 30% affordability ceiling.

Where civil engineers earn more

Pay on its own is only half the picture, so each row shows what rent costs there relative to Fresno.

MetroMedian payvs FresnoRent vs Fresno
Sacramento, CA $125,760 +16% 1.1×
San Francisco, CA $122,670 +13% 1.6×
San Jose, CA $119,430 +10% 1.8×
Baton Rouge, LA $110,110 +1% 0.7×

Same job elsewhere in CA

MetroMedian payvs FresnoRent vs Fresno
Sacramento, CA $125,760 +16% 1.1×
San Francisco, CA $122,670 +13% 1.6×
San Jose, CA $119,430 +10% 1.8×
Salinas, CA $106,850 −2% 1.4×

Staying in CA keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.

Who hires civil engineers around Fresno

Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.

Other jobs in Fresno

Source: US BLS OEWS (May 2023) median annual wage; cost of living from BEA; home price and rent from Zillow; household income from US Census ACS. Rankings are across the 187 metros we hold wage data for in this occupation. Estimates for guidance only. See methodology.