Senior Civil Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 69 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Costa Mesa, Pasadena, Santa Ana, Orange.
Also listed as: Structural Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $112,256 |
| 25th | $116,709 |
| 50th (median) | $118,560 |
| 75th | $126,126 |
| 90th | $135,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | $112,320 | $109,538 | $118,462 | 12 |
| FY2022 | $120,000 | $112,310 | $125,250 | 16 |
| FY2023 | $120,000 | $113,000 | $125,580 | 21 |
| FY2024 | $120,500 | $112,160 | $130,000 | 35 |
| FY2025 | $117,318 | $112,490 | $124,950 | 30 |
| FY2026 | $120,000 | $116,709 | $129,140 | 39 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median senior Civil Engineer salary of $118,560 is worth about $104,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Civil Engineers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $108,640 in May 2025 (16,340 employed). The H-1B median here is $118,560, 9% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| WSP | too few | 3 |
| Degenkolb Engineers | too few | 3 |
| DPR Construction, A General Partnership | too few | 3 |
| EEC Environmental | too few | 3 |
| Jacobs Project Management Company | too few | 3 |
| John Labib Structural Engineers | too few | 3 |
| Lpa | too few | 3 |
| Rivian | too few | 2 |
| Cell-Crete | too few | 2 |
| GGG Demolition | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $80,000 | 132 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,000 | 136 |
| Senior · Level III | $118,560 | 69 |
| Expert · Level IV | $149,675 | 48 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $71,510 | $80,000 | 132 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $96,470 | $104,000 | 136 |
| Senior · Level III | $116,709 | $118,560 | 69 |
| Expert · Level IV | $136,968 | $149,675 | 48 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.