Civil engineer · San Diego, CA
Civil engineer in San Diego: $1,967/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in San Diego at $108,900 a year. About 5,620 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.54). The 10th percentile is $79,410 and the 90th is $166,430. Pay ranks 28th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.0× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,292/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $1,967 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, at $3,648 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$1,967
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$108,900
$79,410 to $166,430
Rent (1 bd)
$2,292
$2,728 (2 bd)
Employment
5,620
Location quotient 1.54
Pay rank
28th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.0×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $108,900.
- Taxes$2,468
- Rent$2,292
- Other$2,348
- Left$1,967
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $108,900
- Federal income tax
- −$15,128
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$8,331
- State income tax (CA)
- −$6,155
- Take-home pay
- $79,286
- Effective tax rate
- 27.2%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,292
- Groceries
- $468
- Getting around
- $650
- Healthcare
- $527
- Utilities and internet
- $293
- Everything else
- $410
- Total spending
- $4,640
After tax and rent
$1,967 left/mo
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Las Vegas, $3,648/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Other jobs in San Diego
- Registered nurse
- Software developer
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- Accountant / auditor
- Truck driver (heavy)
- Electrician
- Lawyer
- Police officer
- Financial analyst
- Pharmacist
- Product / project manager
- Physical therapist
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician
- Construction manager
- Data scientist
- Firefighter
- Mechanical engineer
Questions
What does a civil engineer make in San Diego?
$108,900 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 5,620 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in San Diego?
$1,967 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,292, and pay covers 4.0× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Las Vegas, about 242 miles away, leaves $3,648 a month, more than San Diego.