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Civil Engineer - Federal Salaries of 2016
Pay Rates for "Civil Engineer"
How much does a Civil Engineer in the federal government get paid? $96,045.58* *Based on the 2016 average.Civil Engineer was the 68th most popular job in the U.S. Government in 2016, with 3,976 employed. The most common payscale was the general schedule payscale.
In 2016, the Federal Highway Administration hired the most employees titled Civil Engineering, with an average salary of $101,135.
Government Civil Engineering jobs are classified under the General Schedule (GS) payscale. The minimum paygrade for a Civil Engineering job is GS-6, and the highest paygrade that can be attained within this job series is GS-15. Remember that the starting and maximum yearly pay listed above reflect base pay only - your actual salary will be higher based on the Locality Pay Adjustment for the area in which you work.
Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions fall under this job category. Due to the growing focus of them STEM fields, individuals in this job category tend to advance more quickly than employees in the other job categories. Jobs in this category are being added quickly and many organizations have trouble finding qualified individuals. Individuals in this job category typically recieve pormotions of 2 grade increases at a time until they reach GS-12.
Agencies that have hired a Civil Engineer
Civil Engineer Pay Distribution
The average pay for a Civil Engineer is $96,045.58. The highest paid Civil Engineer made $183,846 in 2016.
Common Civil Engineer Payscales
| Payscale | Number of Civil Engineering Employees |
|---|---|
| GS - General Schedule | 3,384 |
| FV - Faa Core Compensation Plan | 453 |
| GG - Grades Similar To General Schedule | 61 |
| ZP - Scientific And Engineering Professional | 32 |
| EF - Consultant (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 10 |
| GM - Emp Covered By Pmrs Termination Provisns | 9 |
| IC - Federal Emergency Management Agency Use | 8 |
| AD - Administratively Determined Rates, Not E | 5 |
| NN - Nnsa Engineering And Scientific | 3 |
| EH - Advisory Committee Member (5 U.s.c. 3109 | 3 |
| EG - Consultant (other) | 2 |
| ED - Expert (5 U.s.c. 3109) | 2 |
| SN - Senior Level System | 1 |
| ES - Senior Executive Service | 1 |
| ST - Scientific And Professional | 1 |
| EI - Advisory Committee Member (other) | 1 |
| Starting Paygrade: | $33,903.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-6, Step 1 |
| Maximum Paygrade: | $143,598.00 / year base pay at paygrade GS-15, Step 10 |
| Category: | Professional and Scientific |
| Occupation Family: | 0800 ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE GROUP |
Other Jobs at the GS-6 Paygrade
GS-6 is the starting paygrade for Civil Engineering jobs. Here are some other Federal Government jobs that can be held by employees at the GS-6 paygrade.
| Occupation | Occupation Category | Starting Paygrade | Maximum Paygrade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Property Management | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Toxicology | Professional and Scientific | GS-6 | GS-15 |
| Administrative Officer | Administrative and Management | GS-4 | GS-15 |
| Clerk-Typist | Clerical and Administrative Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
| Social Services Aid and Assistant | Technical and Medical Support | GS-1 | GS-9 |
Average Civil Engineering Pay Trend from 2004 to 2019
In 2004, the average pay for a Civil Engineer was $77,359. Since then, the average pay has increased to $103,400 in 2019.
Data Sources
The information provided on these pages is sourced from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 
Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI) dataset. Postal Service data is managed exclusively by the USPS . All information is displayed unmodified and as provided by the source agency.
Federal employee salaries are public information under open government laws (5 U.S.C. § 552). FederalPay provides this data in the interest of government transparency — employee data may not be used for commercial soliciting or vending of any kind. Learn more about the FederalPay Employees Dataset here.
The series code of this occupation is 0810.