Civil Engineers salary in Houston, TX
Median pay for civil engineers in Houston, TX: $87,330/yr
Typical range (10th–90th percentile): $61,560 – $161,220 · about 9,540 employed locally
Below the typical metro median ($88,630) by −$1,300 (-1%).
What it's really worth in Houston
With Houston's cost of living at 100 (US=100), that $87,330 has the buying power of about $87,563 in an average-cost US metro.
Local context: median household income $78,061 · median home $308,306 · median rent $1,639/mo.
How Houston ranks for this job
On raw pay, Houston, TX is 98th of the 187 metros we hold civil engineers wages for. Once Houston's cost of living is applied, it ranks 137th.
The headline number flatters Houston. Once housing and everyday costs are taken into account, civil engineers here keep less of what they earn than the raw salary implies.
What that salary buys in Houston
A median home in Houston, TX costs $308,306 — about 3.5× 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 $1,639/mo works out at 23% 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 Houston.
| Metro | Median pay | vs Houston | Rent vs Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento, CA | $125,760 | +44% | 1.4× |
| San Francisco, CA | $122,670 | +40% | 2× |
| San Jose, CA | $119,430 | +37% | 2.2× |
| Baton Rouge, LA | $110,110 | +26% | 0.8× |
Same job elsewhere in TX
| Metro | Median pay | vs Houston | Rent vs Houston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $93,370 | +7% | 1× |
| Dallas, TX | $92,240 | +6% | 1× |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $86,960 | +0% | 0.9× |
| Killeen, TX | $81,250 | −7% | 0.8× |
Staying in TX keeps state income tax and licensing the same, which makes these the most directly comparable moves.
Who hires civil engineers around Houston
Large local employers in sectors that typically employ this role.
- Exxon Mobil · Energy
- Chevron · Energy
- Shell USA · Energy
- Halliburton · Energy
Other jobs in Houston
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.