Civil Engineer.
Wilmington.
$99,000
median salary, 1% below the national average
$78,000 to $127,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
If you are evaluating a Civil Engineer offer in Wilmington, DE, here is the reality: $78,000 to $127,000, with $99,000 as the midpoint. 1% below 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 Wilmington, 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 $99,410 for Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, based on 6,160 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$75,830
25th percentile
$81,430
Median
$99,410
75th percentile
$127,410
90th percentile
$147,960
Workers surveyed
6,160
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 Wilmington range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such. Wilmington is reported by BLS within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area.
View the BLS source for SOC 17-2051Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $89,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$64,000
to $79,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$84,000
to $104,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$109,000
to $129,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$124,000
to $153,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $26,000 to the total package.
Base
$99,000
Equity
$15,000
Bonus
$9,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $125,000
How Wilmington compares.
Wilmington, DE
$99,000
Cost of living: 2% above average
National Average
$100,000
Wilmington is $1,000 below
Civil Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Wilmington.
What you should know.
The Civil Engineer landscape in Wilmington is not what most salary sites will tell you. Wilmington is a corporate law and financial services hub, home to most U.S. credit card companies thanks to Delaware's favorable incorporation laws. The city's compact size belies its outsized role in banking, legal services, and corporate governance. Chemical and pharmaceutical companies also maintain a strong presence. 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 Wilmington, 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: delaware has a top income tax rate of 6.6% but no state sales tax. Wilmington has a city wage tax of 1.25%. The no sales tax benefit partially offsets the income tax burden. When someone quotes you $99,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Leverage Delaware's corporate density. Banks and legal firms here pay competitively to retain talent that might otherwise commute to Philadelphia or New York. The range for Civil Engineers in Wilmington runs from $78,000 to $127,000. 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
Considering a related role?
- A Systems Administrator in Wilmington earns $98,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Wilmington is CTO at $318,000
Common questions.
Civil Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Wilmington.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Civil Engineer Salary in Wilmington, DE." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/civil-engineer/wilmington
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