Entry-level Civil Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 208 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Herndon, Fairfax, Sterling, Reston, Arlington.
Also listed as: Structural Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $72,000 |
| 25th | $75,000 |
| 50th (median) | $82,694 |
| 75th | $106,240 |
| 90th | $128,060 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $65,732 | $64,501 | $72,192 | 116 |
| FY2021 | $66,560 | $65,270 | $74,417 | 108 |
| FY2022 | $70,000 | $65,915 | $78,780 | 114 |
| FY2023 | $70,720 | $69,389 | $79,388 | 66 |
| FY2024 | $78,000 | $71,930 | $86,380 | 94 |
| FY2025 | $81,000 | $73,154 | $92,076 | 119 |
| FY2026 | $88,005 | $76,003 | $126,000 | 89 |
Cost of living
Washington's median entry-level Civil Engineer salary of $82,694 is worth about $75,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Civil Engineers in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $101,780 in May 2025 (8,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $82,694, 19% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $128,000 | 49 |
| Dulles Engineering | $73,507 | 17 |
| Jacobs Engineering Group | too few | 7 |
| HDR Engineering | too few | 6 |
| Rummel, Klepper & Kahl | too few | 5 |
| E.E. Reed Construction “ East Coast | too few | 4 |
| Flatiron Dragados | too few | 4 |
| T.Y. Lin International | too few | 4 |
| Accu-Crete | too few | 3 |
| ADP Consultants | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $82,694 | 208 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,140 | 178 |
| Senior · Level III | $116,355 | 79 |
| Expert · Level IV | $142,765 | 56 |
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 | $71,906 | $82,694 | 208 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $90,938 | $100,140 | 178 |
| Senior · Level III | $108,347 | $116,355 | 79 |
| Expert · Level IV | $125,778 | $142,765 | 56 |
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.