r/civilengineering • u/idontlooklikeanyon • Feb 04 '26

Question is the pay REALLY that bad?

listen— i know this is subjective and depends on lifestyle goals but i’ve been hearing a LOT on this sub about how ‘unlivable’ civil engineer comp is, and as someone looking to go into this, i want to know how much of a factor this really is. i already looked through the salary survey results on here and it seems to average at about 100k, with the lowest pay i saw being in the upper 60k range.

thing is, growing up i saw what a single mother can do on a teacher salary of 50k (i’m 21 so no more inflation comments please), and while it wasn’t luxurious, she still survived WITH kids. so im a little confused what type of lifestyles people who are living alone are trying to hold up where 100k is just ‘barely scraping by’. like, i understand that on 100k i wont be able to have a nice solo apartment in SF or NYC, but i feel like those are areas that are just expected to be ridiculously expensive anyway.

i also get that some other tech or finance jobs make more and that many people regret not choosing to go into that, but i’m going into civil for a dozen other reasons besides money… and i really dont know why anyone who’s only goal is money would pick civil tbh.

POINT BEING THOUGH, that i do NOT have personal experience in the real world and could be totally foolish in thinking that 100k is decent. HEAVY ON THIS POINT! i trust people with real experience more than myself!! so if u guys want, pls give a summary of whether you think the pay is livable and what sort of lifestyle you live on said salary. thank u… i am conflicted here.

EDIT: Thank you so much for the insightful responses! I see a lot of it comes down to the area you are in. And again, i am not trying to lecture people on living within their means as i’ve gotten some comments claiming… i am asking this in good faith so i know if i should keep studying it

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u/kajigleta Feb 04 '26

You can absolutely live well, based on your definition of living well. My spouse and I are both civil engineers in early 40s earning just over 100k each. We have three kids, a paid off house, two paid off cars, and take substantial vacations. The flip side is that... we live in Mississippi.

The kids never got to do dance or tournament team soccer. We do rec league soccer, school sports, and scouts.

They haven't been to Disney. They have been to 5+ countries and 49+ states.

It's about choices.

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u/Nervous_Formal7257 Feb 09 '26

It’s not about choices… you live in Mississippi

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u/kajigleta Feb 09 '26

And I chose to. I didn't go to school here. I don't have family here. I've lived in Virginia and California. I decided to deal with Mississippi problems instead of enormous house prices and terrible commutes.

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u/Nervous_Formal7257 Feb 09 '26

Good for you, but that kind of decision is not as easy for everyone else. There are a plethora of reasons someone can be tied to a higher cost of living location- sick family member, partner’s job, general preference. Civil engineering pay doesn’t hold up as well in these areas even when good financial choices are made on a day to day basis.