Civil engineer · San Luis Obispo, CA

Civil engineer in San Luis Obispo: $2,498/mo left

BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in San Luis Obispo at $110,210 a year. About 720 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 2.50). The 10th percentile is $75,580 and the 90th is $163,890. Pay ranks 26th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 4.6× a year of one-bedroom rent ($2,013/mo). California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $2,498 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Sacramento, about 237 miles away, at $3,832 left over a month.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.

Left over each month

$2,498

1 adult, 1 bd

Pay

$110,210

$75,580 to $163,890

Rent (1 bd)

$2,013

$2,396 (2 bd)

Employment

720

Location quotient 2.50

Pay rank

26th of 368

Metros with a published median

Pay vs rent

4.6×

Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent

Where the money goes

1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $110,210.

Taxes$2,547
Rent$2,013
Other living costs$2,126
Left over$2,498

Pay and tax, per year

Gross household pay: $110,210
Federal income tax: −$15,860
Social Security and Medicare: −$8,431
State income tax (CA): −$6,277
Take-home pay: $79,642
Effective tax rate: 27.7%

Living costs, per month

Rent, 1br: $2,013
Groceries: $433
Getting around: $556
Healthcare: $487
Utilities and internet: $271
Everything else: $379
Total spending: $4,139

Left over each month

$9,184 gross, minus $2,547 in tax and $4,139 in living costs.

$2,498

Rank every metro for a civil engineer

Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Sacramento, $3,832/mo.

Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →

Civil engineer nearby

Questions

What does a civil engineer make in San Luis Obispo?

$110,210 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 720 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.

What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in San Luis Obispo?

$2,498 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. California taxes wage income on a bracket schedule Rent is $2,013, and pay covers 4.6× a year of it.

Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?

Sacramento, about 237 miles away, leaves $3,832 a month, more than San Luis Obispo.