| Employment | 1,650 |
|---|---|
| Mean annual wage | $115,810 |
| Median annual wage | $103,880 |
| Median hourly wage | $49.94 |
| 10th percentile | $78,780 |
| 25th percentile | $82,120 |
| 75th percentile | $130,720 |
| 90th percentile | $164,200 |
| Location quotient | 0.99 |
| Civil engineers per 1,000 jobs | 2.34 |
What this means for owners
The median in District of Columbia runs 3 percent above the national figure of $100,840. Recruiting from lower-paying markets usually takes a relocation offer that clears the local median, not just your home-office band.
The 90th percentile is 2.1 times the 10th ($78,780 to $164,200). Use the 25th to 75th band ($82,120 to $130,720) as the working range for licensed staff, and keep principals and senior PEs near or above the 75th.
A location quotient of 0.99 means civil engineers make up about the same share of local jobs than the national average.
The median hourly wage of $49.94 is the starting point for direct labor cost. Run it through the salary and billing rate calculator to see loaded cost and billing rate at your multiplier.
Technicians
BLS does not publish a median wage for civil engineering technicians here.
Metro areas in District of Columbia
| Metro area | Median |
|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $101,780 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, SOC 17-2051 Civil Engineers and 17-3022 Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians. bls.gov/oes. Figures are base wages and exclude bonuses and benefits. Cells BLS suppresses show as not published.
