Salary comparison
Civil Engineers: Mankato vs Santa Maria
Mankato, MN pays about 6.9% more for civil engineers on paper — $128,220 vs $119,980. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Mankato comes out ahead by $8,240 a year in real buying power.
Mankato, MN
$128,220
$104,820
$132,700
$61.65
100
$128,220/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Santa Maria, CA
$119,980
$94,400
$151,330
$57.68
100
$119,980/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $8,240 a year (6.9%) in favor of Mankato. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Mankato runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Santa Maria sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Mankato is the better deal by $8,240 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Santa Maria to Mankato for this role, the raise needs to beat 6.9% to come out ahead after living costs. Anything below that and you are earning more on paper but keeping less.
Common questions
Where do civil engineers earn more, Mankato or Santa Maria?
Mankato pays $128,220 on median — about 6.9% more than Santa Maria ($119,980). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Mankato. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Mankato gives you roughly$128,220 of real buying power versus $119,980 in the other city.