LocalSalaryHub Salary Report
Civil Engineers in San Luis Obispo, CA · Generated June 14, 2026
Civil Engineers Salary in San Luis Obispo, CA $110,210/yr
$110,210
Mean: $117,040
~$85,964 est. take-home
$52.99
Based on 2,080 hrs/yr
100
100 = national avg
Very affordable
Affordability score: 100/100
$4,745/mo
65%
Salary Distribution
Where the median falls between the 25th and 75th percentile.
25th %
$86,770
Median
$110,210
75th %
$138,140
Median is in the 46th percentile of the typical range
Civil Engineers in other CA cities
Compare the same occupation across cities in CA.
About Civil Engineers salaries in San Luis Obispo, CA
Civil Engineers in San Luis Obispo, CA earn a median of $110,210 per year, based on BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data. The mean salary is $117,040, which tends to skew higher because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
Most civil engineers in this area earn between $86,770 and $138,140. Where you land depends on experience, employer type, and whether you have in-demand specializations.
That works out to roughly $52.99 per hour assuming a standard 2,080-hour work year. Actual hourly pay may differ for part-time or contract roles.
Career Outlook
6% growth, boosted by federal infrastructure spending on roads, bridges, water systems, and broadband. Climate resilience work — seawalls, flood management, fire-resistant infrastructure — is the fastest-growing specialty within civil engineering.
Worth knowing: A PE (Professional Engineer) license is basically mandatory for career progression. Without it, your ceiling is lower and you can't sign off on public projects.
Civil Engineers Jobs in San Luis Obispo, CA
Median: $110,210/yr — browse openings that fit.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average salary for a civil engineers in San Luis Obispo?▾
The median — where half earn more and half earn less — is $110,210. The average (mean) is $117,040, which is higher because top earners pull it up.
How much does a civil engineers make per hour in San Luis Obispo?▾
About $52.99/hour, based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. Part-time or overtime hours will change the actual rate.
What is the salary range for civil engineers in San Luis Obispo?▾
The middle 50% earn between $86,770 and $138,140. Below $86,770 is typically entry-level; above $138,140 usually means significant experience or specialized skills.
Salary Conversion Table
How does $110,210 per year break down across different time periods?
| Period | Gross | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|
| Yearly | $110,210 | $85,964 |
| Monthly | $9,184 | $7,164 |
| Biweekly | $4,239 | $3,306 |
| Weekly | $2,119 | $1,653 |
| Hourly (40h/wk) | $52.99 | $41.33 |
| Hourly (35h/wk) | $60.55 | $47.23 |
| Hourly (30h/wk) | $70.65 | $55.11 |
| Daily (8h) | $424 | $331 |
Take-home estimates use an effective tax rate of 22%. Actual amounts vary by filing status, deductions, and state tax.
Civil Engineers: Highest-Paying Cities in the U.S.
Top 10 cities nationwide for civil engineers, based on BLS median salary data.
Related Occupations in San Luis Obispo
Similar roles in the same field, ranked by national average salary.
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See more salary data
More pages tied to this occupation and region.
- Civil Engineers salaries nationwide — the national median and the highest-paying metros for civil engineers across all states.
- All CA salary data — every occupation we cover in CA, ranked by median pay, plus the cities that pay the most.
- Civil Engineers in San Jose, CA — the top-paying city for civil engineers in our dataset, in case you are weighing a move out of San Luis Obispo.
- Industrial Engineers salary overview — a closely related role (same SOC major group) with a national median of $100,257.