Civil engineer · Seattle, WA
Civil engineer in Seattle: $3,675/mo left
BLS OEWS May 2025 puts the median civil engineer wage in Seattle at $116,480 a year. About 7,680 civil engineer jobs are in the metro. The job is a larger share of local employment than nationwide (location quotient 1.56). The 10th percentile is $82,140 and the 90th is $161,760. Pay ranks 16th-highest of 368 metros with a published median for this job. Pay is 5.5× a year of one-bedroom rent ($1,758/mo). Washington has no state income tax. At this pay, one adult in a one-bedroom keeps $3,675 a month after tax and rent. The best nearby metro for this job is Walla Walla, about 179 miles away, at $4,680 left over a month.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
After tax and rent
$3,675
1 adult, 1 bd
Pay
$116,480
$82,140 to $161,760
Rent (1 bd)
$1,758
$2,093 (2 bd)
Employment
7,680
Location quotient 1.56
Pay rank
16th of 368
Metros with a published median
Pay vs rent
5.5×
Annual pay ÷ a year of 1 bd rent
Where the money goes
1 adult, 1 bd, civil engineer pay of $116,480.
- Taxes$2,142
- Rent$1,758
- Other$2,131
- Left$3,675
Pay and tax, per year
- Gross household pay
- $116,480
- Federal income tax
- −$16,796
- Social Security and Medicare
- −$8,911
- State income tax (WA)
- None
- Take-home pay
- $90,774
- Effective tax rate
- 22.1%
Living costs, per month
- Rent, 1br
- $1,758
- Groceries
- $452
- Getting around
- $493
- Healthcare
- $508
- Utilities and internet
- $283
- Everything else
- $395
- Total spending
- $3,889
After tax and rent
$3,675 left/mo
Rank every metro for a civil engineer
Same job. Local pay. After tax and rent. Best nearby: Walla Walla, $4,680/mo.
Civil engineer leftover by city →Best cities for civil engineers to move to →Civil engineer nearby
Compare Seattle with another city
Other jobs in Seattle
- 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 Seattle?
$116,480 a year. That figure is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median for the metro. About 7,680 civil engineer jobs are in the metro.
What is left after tax and rent for a civil engineer in Seattle?
$3,675 a month for one adult in a one-bedroom. Washington has no state income tax Rent is $1,758, and pay covers 5.5× a year of it.
Where nearby would a civil engineer keep more?
Walla Walla, about 179 miles away, leaves $4,680 a month, more than Seattle.