Salary comparison
Civil Engineers: Sacramento vs Seattle
Sacramento, CA pays about 11.7% more for civil engineers on paper — $130,150 vs $116,480. But once you factor in what it costs to live there, Sacramento comes out ahead by $13,670 a year in real buying power.
Sacramento, CA
$130,150
$100,270
$159,360
$62.57
100
$130,150/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
Seattle, WA
$116,480
$100,290
$134,500
$56.00
100
$116,480/yr
Median adjusted for local cost of living.
What the numbers mean in practice
The headline gap is $13,670 a year (11.7%) in favor of Sacramento. That is the raw salary difference before any living costs.
Sacramento runs a cost index of 100 against the national baseline of 100; Seattle sits at 100. After adjusting the median for those costs, Sacramento is the better deal by $13,670 a year — that is what each paycheck actually buys locally.
If you are weighing a move from Seattle to Sacramento for this role, the raise needs to beat 11.7% 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, Sacramento or Seattle?
Sacramento pays $130,150 on median — about 11.7% more than Seattle ($116,480). Based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Which city is the better deal after living costs?
Sacramento. Once you divide each median by the local cost index, Sacramento gives you roughly$130,150 of real buying power versus $116,480 in the other city.