Civil Engineer vs Mechanical Engineer Salary (2025)
Mechanical Engineer earns $5,904 more than Civil Engineer nationally. The median Mechanical Engineer salary is $107,372 compared to $101,468 for Civil Engineer, based on BLS data across 69 metro areas.
Comparing Civil Engineer, Mechanical Engineer: side-by-side wage and employment data across the same metropolitan areas, from BLS OEWS. The comparison view normalizes percentile distributions so the wage differences are apples-to-apples within each metro. Role comparisons are most useful when the worker has flexibility between the occupations — usually adjacent specialties within the same field (e.g., software-engineering versus data-engineering) or related disciplines with overlapping skill sets.
Median wage differences across roles understate the spread for senior workers and overstate it for entry-level. The per-percentile comparison gives a fuller picture — particularly the p75 and p90 columns, which capture experienced-worker pay.
Civil Engineer
Mechanical Engineer
Salary Comparison by City
| City | Civil Engineer | Mechanical Engineer | Difference | Higher Earner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno, CA | $119,720 | $98,740 | +$20,980 | Civil Engineer |
| Des Moines, IA | $97,330 | $85,490 | +$11,840 | Civil Engineer |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $115,120 | $104,910 | +$10,210 | Civil Engineer |
| Sacramento, CA | $130,150 | $120,970 | +$9,180 | Civil Engineer |
| Omaha, NE | $102,020 | $93,180 | +$8,840 | Civil Engineer |
| Boise, ID | $99,510 | $91,340 | +$8,170 | Civil Engineer |
| Reno, NV | $105,470 | $101,520 | +$3,950 | Civil Engineer |
| Minneapolis, MN | $104,740 | $101,180 | +$3,560 | Civil Engineer |
| Louisville, KY | $102,650 | $99,290 | +$3,360 | Civil Engineer |
| Indianapolis, IN | $101,830 | $98,680 | +$3,150 | Civil Engineer |
| Jacksonville, FL | $102,280 | $99,500 | +$2,780 | Civil Engineer |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $100,680 | $98,050 | +$2,630 | Civil Engineer |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $98,960 | $96,930 | +$2,030 | Civil Engineer |
| Spokane, WA | $100,510 | $98,670 | +$1,840 | Civil Engineer |
| Raleigh, NC | $101,440 | $100,000 | +$1,440 | Civil Engineer |
| Portland, OR | $106,280 | $105,020 | +$1,260 | Civil Engineer |
| Greenville, SC | $102,830 | $101,570 | +$1,260 | Civil Engineer |
| Charlotte, NC | $102,370 | $101,950 | +$420 | Civil Engineer |
| Tampa, FL | $100,570 | $100,290 | +$280 | Civil Engineer |
| Buffalo, NY | $97,060 | $97,200 | -$140 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Madison, WI | $99,010 | $99,680 | -$670 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Rochester, NY | $99,460 | $100,160 | -$700 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Lexington, KY | $103,090 | $103,820 | -$730 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Kansas City, MO | $98,860 | $99,630 | -$770 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Nashville, TN | $98,650 | $99,440 | -$790 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Birmingham, AL | $97,420 | $98,810 | -$1,390 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Las Vegas, NV | $106,110 | $107,600 | -$1,490 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Columbus, OH | $99,010 | $100,730 | -$1,720 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Chicago, IL | $100,160 | $102,070 | -$1,910 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Hartford, CT | $103,650 | $105,980 | -$2,330 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Milwaukee, WI | $96,190 | $98,730 | -$2,540 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Orlando, FL | $100,740 | $103,380 | -$2,640 | Mechanical Engineer |
| New York, NY | $107,330 | $109,990 | -$2,660 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $98,800 | $101,500 | -$2,700 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Knoxville, TN | $96,320 | $99,070 | -$2,750 | Mechanical Engineer |
| St. Louis, MO | $96,830 | $100,340 | -$3,510 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Philadelphia, PA | $99,410 | $104,410 | -$5,000 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Tulsa, OK | $102,080 | $107,440 | -$5,360 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Albany, NY | $102,470 | $108,310 | -$5,840 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Cincinnati, OH | $98,220 | $104,220 | -$6,000 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Austin, TX | $100,470 | $106,690 | -$6,220 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Memphis, TN | $96,100 | $104,110 | -$8,010 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Dallas, TX | $96,920 | $105,420 | -$8,500 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Anchorage, AK | $112,740 | $121,610 | -$8,870 | Mechanical Engineer |
| New Orleans, LA | $108,240 | $117,990 | -$9,750 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Seattle, WA | $116,480 | $126,590 | -$10,110 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Wichita, KS | $84,310 | $94,610 | -$10,300 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Phoenix, AZ | $90,330 | $100,980 | -$10,650 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Little Rock, AR | $83,030 | $93,800 | -$10,770 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Boston, MA | $107,670 | $119,300 | -$11,630 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Providence, RI | $99,310 | $111,360 | -$12,050 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Richmond, VA | $91,300 | $104,130 | -$12,830 | Mechanical Engineer |
| San Diego, CA | $108,900 | $121,750 | -$12,850 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Atlanta, GA | $88,000 | $102,020 | -$14,020 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $94,840 | $109,370 | -$14,530 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Los Angeles, CA | $108,640 | $123,900 | -$15,260 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Miami, FL | $83,750 | $99,660 | -$15,910 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Greensboro, NC | $93,460 | $109,540 | -$16,080 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Baltimore, MD | $100,500 | $116,700 | -$16,200 | Mechanical Engineer |
| San Antonio, TX | $88,290 | $104,620 | -$16,330 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Detroit, MI | $92,550 | $109,470 | -$16,920 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Bridgeport, CT | $107,870 | $125,780 | -$17,910 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Tucson, AZ | $81,490 | $99,750 | -$18,260 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Bakersfield, CA | $99,300 | $119,790 | -$20,490 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Denver, CO | $104,710 | $128,180 | -$23,470 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Houston, TX | $100,950 | $125,350 | -$24,400 | Mechanical Engineer |
| Washington, DC | $101,780 | $126,990 | -$25,210 | Mechanical Engineer |
| San Francisco, CA | $130,160 | $161,370 | -$31,210 | Mechanical Engineer |
| San Jose, CA | $130,280 | $168,030 | -$37,750 | Mechanical Engineer |
Frequently Asked Questions
Mechanical Engineer earns more on average, with a national median of $107,372 compared to $101,468 for Civil Engineer, a difference of $5,904 per year.
The largest salary gap is in Fresno, CA, where Civil Engineer earns $119,720 vs $98,740 for Mechanical Engineer.
Civil Engineer has approximately 246,160 positions tracked, while Mechanical Engineer has 179,960 positions. Civil Engineer has more jobs available nationally.
More Salary Comparisons
Comparison based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.