Civil engineer · San Francisco, CA
Civil engineer in San Francisco: $2,626/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in San Francisco at $130,160 a year. About 10,990 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.96). The 10th percentile is $90,860 and the 90th is $202,730. Pay ranks 2nd-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.1× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,635/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,626 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Redding, about 207 miles away, at $4,149 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$2,626
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$130,160
$90,860 to $202,730
Rent (1 bd)
$2,635
$3,137 (2 bd)
Employment
10,990
Location quotient 1.96
Pay rank
2nd of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
4.1×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $130,160.
- Taxes$3,172
- Rent$2,635
- Other$2,414
- Left$2,626
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $130,160
- Federal income tax
- −$19,972
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$9,957
- State income tax (CA)
- −$8,132
- Take-home pay
- $92,098
- Effective tax rate
- 29.2%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $2,635
- Groceries
- $512
- Getting around
- $558
- Healthcare
- $576
- Utilities and internet
- $320
- Everything else
- $448
- Total spending
- $5,049
After tax and rent
$2,626 left/mo
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Redding, $4,149/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Compare San Francisco with another city
Other jobs in San Francisco
- 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 Francisco?
$130,160 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 10,990 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in San Francisco?
$2,626 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,635, and pay covers 4.1× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Redding, about 207 miles away, leaves $4,149 a month, more than San Francisco.