Civil Engineer.
Salt Lake City.
$100,000
median salary, at the national average
$79,000 to $128,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Civil Engineer offer in Salt Lake City, UT, here is the reality: $79,000 to $128,000, with $100,000 as the midpoint. Right at the national average. PE licensure is nearly essential for advancement and adds significant salary premium. Do not accept the first number. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Civil Engineer in Salt Lake City, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $84,180 for Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) in the Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT metropolitan area, based on 680 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$48,780
25th percentile
$75,990
Median
$84,180
75th percentile
$107,160
90th percentile
$134,910
Workers surveyed
680
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) rather than Civil Engineer specifically. The Salt Lake City range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $90,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$65,000
to $80,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$85,000
to $105,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$110,000
to $130,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$125,000
to $155,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $27,000 to the total package.
Base
$100,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$10,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $127,000
How Salt Lake City compares.
Salt Lake City, UT
$100,000
Cost of living: 2% below average
National Average
$100,000
Same as local rate
Civil Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Salt Lake City.
What you should know.
The Civil Engineer landscape in Salt Lake City is not what most salary sites will tell you. Salt Lake City anchors the Silicon Slopes tech corridor, home to companies like Qualtrics, Pluralsight, and Domo. The region has attracted significant venture investment and tech relocations. Utah's business friendly environment, young educated workforce, and outdoor lifestyle make it a rising destination for tech professionals seeking affordability without sacrificing career growth. PE licensure is nearly essential for advancement and adds significant salary premium. Specialization in transportation, water resources, or geotechnical engineering pays more than general site development. Geographic demand driven by infrastructure spending varies widely, with high-growth Sun Belt metros offering the best compensation packages.
Entry-level civil engineers (EIT) start at $68,000 to $78,000. Licensed PEs earn $86,000 to $112,000 after four to six years. Project managers reach $110,000 to $145,000, with principals at engineering firms earning $150,000 to $200,000 or more. In Salt Lake City, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Consulting firms offer bonuses of 5 to 10% tied to project billing targets. Government civil engineers receive pension benefits, step increases, and strong job security. Many firms cover PE exam costs and provide annual professional development stipends. And on the tax side: utah has a flat 4.65% state income tax. Salt Lake City imposes no additional city income tax. The moderate rate combined with affordable living costs results in strong net compensation. When someone quotes you $100,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Reference Silicon Slopes growth when negotiating. Local employers are increasingly matching 85 to 95% of Seattle or Bay Area salaries to compete for tech talent. The range for Civil Engineers in Salt Lake City runs from $79,000 to $128,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Civil Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Salt Lake City.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Civil Engineer Salary in Salt Lake City, UT." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/civil-engineer/salt-lake-city
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