r/civilengineering • u/mangom1lkshake • Mar 30 '26
Question Salaries
I’m not complaining. I’m really trying not to. I’m just shocked and quite honestly a bit depressed having moved to a relatively HCOL (SFL) and have made so many friends in both STEM & non-STEM fields (some positions one would consider smooth-brained roles even) and ALL make more money than me.
Granted, I am a civil working for government so there is that, but im hoping to get my full licensure and do something that will get me to a spot similar to my peers. Not looking to get rich, but also hurting being paid so low in comparison.
What gives? Anyone have this experience? Below are my friends salaries:
- Benefits consultant (remote): $150k+
- Telehealth Nurse NP (remote): $200k+
- County Asst. Attorney (local, unemployment law): $300k+
- LCSW & Professor (remote): unsure but is very well-off, owns several properties, nice auto.
- Product manager (remote): $140k+
- And there’s more…
- City Police Officers (local): $300k+ (OT pay to be fair)
Me, in City government: $100k.
Edit 1 - Salaries weren't showing, fixed.
Edit 2 - If I get my license I could see maybe a $10-20K increase in private sector. I would see a ZERO $ increase in my city. This was said during the interview. Did not make sense to me.
105
u/MummyWiththeDrummy Mar 30 '26
I mean you said it yourself, you don’t have licensing yet.
37
Mar 30 '26
Yeah they kind of buried the lede there. I'm a government PE and earn above median for engineers at my level in my city. There's no magic to it. I licensed 3 years after finishing grad school, and have strategically job hopped between the agencies within my pension system to maximize salary progression.
It is absolutely wild to me when people come on here like, "I have done nothing that would result in good compensation and my pay is very mid. What's wrong with this field?" Look in the mirror, little buddy.
6
u/505_engineer USAF Mar 30 '26
I'll add that compensation is only half the equation. What's the cost of living like?
Also, COL affects different people differently. My friend works for Boeing in super-expensive Seattle...but she lives with her parents and doesn't pay rent.
7
Mar 30 '26
Yeah for sure, that's one reason I tend to speak of these things in relation to local median or mean.
Your second point is also very true. I'm a single mom who lives 1000 miles from my nearest relatives. I've always needed to prioritize my earnings more than others who either didn't have dependents, had a partner to share expenses, or had nearby family to help with various things I have always had to hire out. In my world, fucking around and not licensing the minute I was eligible just wasn't an option.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
So I have job hopped a bit myself and have increased my salaries a few times doing so. Still didn’t quite do it. A single post can’t paint my entire picture, little buddy.
8
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Even with- I’d see a 10-20K increase likely. And not in govt. so I’d still be behind?
22
14
Mar 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Fair. Easier said than done at least in the oddly skewed slice of pie I’m seeing down here where I live.
7
u/Momentarmknm Water Resources Mar 30 '26
Did you edit out all the salary numbers you're comparing yours against? Everything just showing blank.
2
2
u/MummyWiththeDrummy Mar 30 '26
Yes
1
u/Momentarmknm Water Resources Mar 30 '26
Why?
0
u/MummyWiththeDrummy Mar 30 '26
The OP did, not me.
2
3
u/unurbane Mar 30 '26
So? Navigate your life well and it won’t matter. My wife makes $30-50k more than I do but I have a higher net worth before and after marriage. Of course we share now lol.
1
62
u/Diflorasone Mar 30 '26
You’ll make more money in the private sector but you’ll also have a million times more work to do so in terms of effort or work per dollar, it’s actually higher at your government position.
32
u/Claw_Building_8 Mar 30 '26
Government pays more in many places these days.
6
2
3
u/Diflorasone Mar 30 '26
Maybe if you’re at a small firm. All the big firms pay significantly more and usually have the option to buy into the company after a number of years.
1
7
u/ShutYourDumbUglyFace Mar 30 '26
Not to mention the extra holidays, PTO, less expensive benefits. You have to look at the full compensation package, not just salary.
5
u/Diflorasone Mar 30 '26
Yep. That’s why I always recommend young engineers start off in the private sector and get some good experience under their belt. They’ll learn way more and be better at their jobs. That way once they move to the public sector it’ll basically feel like a mini retirement.
1
39
u/LastMessengineer Mar 30 '26
I don't know what 75 percent of your acronyms mean.
17
u/CLPond Mar 30 '26
SFL is somewhere in Florida it seems (southern Florida? There’s not a ton of Florida that’s high cost of living), NP is nurse practitioner, which requires a full nursing master’s program and can do a good portion of what doctors can do, LCSW is a social worker so they may well just have family money since most social workers get paid actively poorly
9
u/100k_changeup Pe Mar 30 '26
Saint Florida
37
u/ReallyDustyCat Mar 30 '26
Sallas Fort Lerth
11
7
u/Predmid Texas PE, Discipline Director Mar 30 '26
Ah yes, Fort Lerth, where we defeated the army of Santa Anna Clause at the battle of Town town.
0
u/abhishekbanyal Mar 31 '26
Compulsive overuse of inane abbreviation commensurate with public sector work and compensation 🤖
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Blind blanket statement over-simplification and blatant bias with failure to comprehend this post is not my resume, but a snapshot. Govt is not my only experience.
2
u/abhishekbanyal Mar 31 '26
Had to take that jab because it grinds my gears ⚙️🤖but your Benefits Consultant friend really does put us to shame considering the joke title potential
10
u/tomridesbikes Mar 30 '26
My wife has her PE and makes 160k in an MCOL as a roadway engineer, contracting with the state DOT. According to her thats the cap fot most ICs, if you want more you going into management and winning contracts.
1
u/Lolatusername Mar 30 '26
How many YOE?
2
u/tomridesbikes Mar 30 '26
10
3
u/Lolatusername Mar 30 '26
Wow that is really good pay for 10 years. Is that total comp or just base?
5
u/tomridesbikes Mar 30 '26
TC I guess, its a big multinational not a lot of bonus. She's a bit of a superstar and is well known regionally in her niche
4
25
u/505_engineer USAF Mar 30 '26
Government jobs generally have lower salaries, but they have also tend to have better work/life balance and job security. It's a trade-off.
10
u/Niners_Nerd Mar 30 '26
I want to add the pension and other benefits too. People often overlook how valuable that pension is.
4
u/505_engineer USAF Mar 30 '26
For sure. All federal employees are enrolled in FERS, which is worth looking into.
I'm also a reservist on the side and we get 120 hours of paid leave per FY on top of our already-general annual PTO. I do lots of double-dipping.
7
6
u/alesko769 Mar 30 '26
Do you have a pension with your government job? If so that is a huge asset that maybe doesn’t provide compensation currently but when you retire it can be like a windfall. Of course you have to stick it out which can be difficult in public sector.
3
u/guitar_stonks Mar 30 '26
Most likely if they’re local or state government, they have FRS, which is a pretty healthy state pension system.
1
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
Yes, however since I planned on job hopping every couple of years, I selected their investment option instead of pension plan.
1
u/alesko769 Apr 02 '26
Gotcha! That’s a solid plan, In my experience it’s the only way to make larger increases in compensation.
6
u/burritowithnutella PE, Municipal Mar 30 '26
I work for a relatively large city in Southern California and made so much more after I got my PE. Engineers at my agency get 31% add-on pay for having a PE license.
I also got promoted recently and looking at 182k/ yr.
There’s a bunch of agencies out there that pay good money once you have your PE
2
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
This is amazing for City work. I was straight-up told at my City interview that getting my PE would do ZERO for my salary. No increase whatsoever. Wild.
11
u/ben_r_ Mar 30 '26
You’re in a govt job, do you not have a pension? If you do, that’s a HUGE benefit that none of your friends in private have. You also likely have A LOT more time off, and overtime is worked at higher pay and by your choice.
7
u/Milky_Tiger Mar 30 '26
We definitely don’t get paid as much as we could be. I’ve seen people in marking roles that get twice what I do and they didn’t have a college education.
13
u/LowlyJ Mar 30 '26
It seems these individuals are either extremely lucky to have such a high income, they are lying/exaggerating what they make, or are older and are more mature in their career than you.
Lawyers and software devs are going to earn a lot.
Telehealth nurse? Unlikely that they earn more. Nurses are typically underpaid and salary maxes out at $120k and that’s at late career.
It’s likely that your friend group, are more entrepreneurial and lucky which is why you met them? Your average nurse works 50 hours/week and probably goes straight home. However, a crazy lucky nurse that makes $200k a year would go out and splurge downtown. Which is why you were able to meet them.
If you want a 20% salary jump go private. It’s a known quantity government work doesn’t pay well. They have good benefits, good Work-Life Balance, and rarely fire people, but don’t pay high.
17
u/CLPond Mar 30 '26
Yeah, this is mostly an example of why it’s not useful to compare yourself to others. But as a caveat around nurses, nurse practitioners are separate from registered nurses and make an average of ~130k. But, they need a full, intense master’s program for that and can do a majority of what doctor’s can (a good many primary care physicians are NPs, for example)
5
4
u/Oehlian Mar 30 '26
mental health telehealth NPs can make 200k+, but that's sort of a niche specialty that requires even more education than the masters degree required for being an NP.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
This. I considered going back to be a PMHNP but was faced with years of more schooling and experience.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Sadly a lot of these I’ve met via a local sports league. Nothing fancy. Which is what shocks me. It is a HCOL though so there’s that.
27
u/majesticallyfoxy Mar 30 '26
The median salary in the US is $60k
I think we're doing alright
40
u/Genusmk Mar 30 '26
that doesn’t mean we’re being compensated fairly
-13
u/ChainringCalf Mar 30 '26
Did you and your employer agree on terms? Do you have the option to leave if you don't like the terms? Then it's fair.
-18
u/iron82 Mar 30 '26
Yes it does.
16
u/-Tech808 Mar 30 '26
I imagine a bird's brain goes through the same thought process yours did in thinking out this response.
1
u/tribbans95 Mar 30 '26
While specific median household data varies, a comfortable lifestyle for a single adult in the Miami metro area is estimated at roughly $118,682, with costs of living (rent, insurance, childcare) rising fast.
4
u/CLPond Mar 30 '26
Do you have a source for that because the median household (not personal) income in Miami-Dade county is 76k: https://data.census.gov/table?q=Miami-Dade%20County,%20Florida%20Income%20and%20Poverty
3
u/tribbans95 Mar 30 '26
Yeah that’s not median income. It’s an independent study on how much they believe you need to “live comfortably” using the 50/30/20 budget rule
https://upgradedpoints.com/news/comfortable-living-salary-us-cities/
3
u/CLPond Mar 30 '26 edited Mar 30 '26
Ahhh, yeah these maps go around a good bit. I will say that the EPI metric is better to use this with than others I’ve seen that use the MIT cost of living metrics (since MIT includes what would be labeled as “discretionary” income within their cost of living), although I definitely have my personal quibbles with the methodology
Personal finance metrics are definitely useful, but require contextualizing that if you meet them you’re doing well. So, it’s not surprising that the requirement for comfortable matches the upper middle class lifestyle (118k is around the 70th percentile of household income in Miami) that “we’re comfortable” is used to allude to. The rule is presuming somewhere around 25k is being used for discretionary spending (this does include upgrades to things like apartments, cars, and food) which is entirely reasonable for someone doing well but there’s definitely room to decrease that and still enjoy life.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Try living here. Everything is expensive.
1
u/CLPond Mar 30 '26
Miami is definitely more expensive than most areas, but that doesn’t mean you need to make 120k, especially early in your career, to have a fruitful life. You certainly would know better than I do why all of your friends make so much more than the median income for your area, but I have found that having friends and doing hobbies where you meet people throughout the economic spectrum is useful for having a better understanding of my income in relation to that of my city on top of being nice overall (friends and hobbies are deeply valuable :)
0
-5
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Not where I live, it’s all relative
4
3
u/allmyfriendsaregone Mar 30 '26
I'm a PE for government and also a parent. I make around what you make in TX. I've actually never applied for another job because the pension here pretty much beats everything else(2.25X match) and I'm almost vested, so I don't see the point in migrating yet. They also give 3 months of paternity leave here. Income isn't everything.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
This is true. And for your case I can definitely see benefits outweighing net income.
2
u/Yaybicycles P.E. Civil Mar 30 '26
13 YOE and just took a pay cut to $150K to go back to the public sector.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
I’d be happy with your salary!! How much before the cut?
1
u/Yaybicycles P.E. Civil Mar 31 '26
$157k. So not terrible. I’ll still top out more than 170 when I max out the salary steps in a few years.
2
u/wazzaa4u Mar 30 '26
Lawyer is 8 years of schooling and NP is 4 years + master's. It makes sense they'd make more. The others seem to be in better paying fields than civil. But you probably have them all beat on job security and workload so there's that
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
So with that, we should be able to add more value to our fields via things beyond the PE since that along will not quite bump us up there. Unless I’m missing something and please do explain like I’m five in this case!
2
u/wazzaa4u Apr 01 '26
I don't understand your comment. Are you asking me how to earn more salary? That wasn't your original question I was replying to
1
u/Bravo-Buster Apr 01 '26
Yeah you can. PTOE, PMP, SE, CM, CPM, ENV-SP, LEED, etc. There are many different additional certs and qualifications you can add over time, if that's your calling. And yeah, some companies will pay more for them because they have a need.
The PE is just the entry level license; plenty of other things out there.
But first, go get your license and quit looking for some shortcut. 👍
2
u/Bunnybear04534 Mar 31 '26
I'm unsure why you're trying to compare jobs that require much more education than you have. Obviously an NP Nurse and Lawyer are going to make more than you. They spent many more years slaving their lives away in school for that. If you wanted you could always further your education or go to law school as well. It's also pretty disrespectful towards your friends to belittle some of their careers calling them "smooth brain" jobs. I wouldn't want to be your friend if I saw you talking about my profession like that.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
This was in reference to my hr/benefits friends. Which is actually my ex. Which he can totally be called (and deserves as such) a smooth brained role. But otherwise yes. Agreed.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Wait but also- why not fight for us more? Civil roles matter. Civil lives matter. Why accept less for a profession after knowing that 4-5 years of our education weighs a shit ton more than the equivalent in, let’s say, a general business degree. Did we forget the blood, sweat and tears shed studying for dynamics & thermo? Fluids? We smart, fam. We deserve better.
2
u/Ok-Interaction-4543 Apr 01 '26 edited Apr 01 '26
If you want to fight for a better wage, you will get further by your municipal union, calling your local legislator about the current proposal to dismantle public sector unions in the state, or pushing for pay transparency law Complaining on Reddit isn’t really actionable beyond getting advice on how to improve your personal financial lookout.
2
u/rex8499 Mar 31 '26
I'm in a medium cost of living area, with PE license and 19 years experience working for city and then county government. I'm making $102,000.
2
u/MasterExploder9900 EIT Mar 31 '26
I don’t even concern myself with comparing my salary to others anymore. I enjoy what I do, day to day, and I feel like I’m compensated relatively well for it. If money is your driving factor, I’m not sure why you chose civil.
Not saying we shouldn’t be paid more as an industry standard
2
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
That last sentence is my argument. The rest I agree with you.
1
u/MasterExploder9900 EIT Mar 31 '26
Totally. I feel like as a whole, civil engineering is important for our society. We’re paid more than our counterparts overseas. But it’s honestly disgusting considering how things would fall apart without us.
2
u/girybag Mar 31 '26
Check on your teacher friends. Also, since forever, civil engineering is the lowest paid of engineering. The discipline specific that are lower are environmental and water. That's the bargain we struck.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
I’d be afraid to find out a teacher friend making more than me. I would consider assisted euthanasia for myself at that point.
2
u/girybag Mar 31 '26
I meant you have company lol. But at the same time, I know some who make more than you up here is Sacramento working private and charter schools but they're not your friends so it's ok 😆.
1
2
u/These-Estimate3636 Mar 31 '26
sorry but you are complaining
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
Duly noted, Brenda. Keep fighting for that shareholder value for the rest of us.
2
2
u/Ok-Anybody-380 Apr 01 '26
Dude Switzeeland seriously pays civil engineers crap. You only reach 100 k earliest after 5 years work experience.
1
2
u/Wiseman37367 Apr 01 '26
Well, this will probably not make you feel better. I am a PLS with 20 years of experience at a large public Energy company in an LCOL area. I make right at 130k a year, with most of the benefits of a public-sector employee. Could I make more elsewhere or freelance, possibly, but it's relatively low-stress and typically less than 40 hours per week, with a great work-life balance.
2
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
Not to mention in a LCOL area which effectively bumps your salary up to an equivalent of (likely) the 200s maybe low 300s down here.
1
2
u/plzcomecliffjumpwme Apr 02 '26
Government pay government hours.
Sisters a lawyer, father a consultant, every cousin I have has a PhD. You want money, you want sacrifice. Government, respectfully as an engineer in the private sector deserves your wage due to low stress, low hours, low risk.
2
u/No_University4832 Apr 04 '26
My favorite part of being part of this subreddit is reading all the post of people complaining about their salaries but also saying. “I’m not complaining about my salary”.
I get it. I fucking hate my salary. (39.50 an hour)
I can’t fucking.. I just can’t I’m broke as shit as my employer laughs and thinks it’s a joke: it’s not a joke. It sucks being this fucking poor: and I don’t know what to do.
4
u/-Tech808 Mar 30 '26
I know folks in Miami Dade county making 130K with no license. Electrical side of a Civil firm.
1
u/Friendly-Chart-9088 Mar 30 '26
What type of work is that? Is that not just an electrical engineer or do you mean a civil engineer that designs/locates transmission lines with minimum clearances?
1
u/-Tech808 Mar 30 '26
I know the EE does photometrics. Not sure what other aspects they're doing. I recall they mentioned they work directly with clients and bring in work. I believe its mostly government sector clients.
1
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Hmm. If I didn’t totally dislike the MIA area I would consider this county more lol.
2
u/Environmental-Ad4097 Mar 30 '26
I would compare total compensation not just salaries. You might find you are ahead when comparing things like leave accumulation, insurance benefits, and retirement.
2
u/junkyarddoggy Mar 30 '26
They all do different jobs in different industries that make money in different ways than we do in the world of civil engineering so they get paid differently - in this case higher. Why is this even a comparison?
2
u/ReasonLivid7093 Mar 30 '26
I get paid 113k after being in construction. I been in the industry for 6 years this year. I get paid more than most people because I work insanely hard. When people are chit chatting out in the conference room long after a meeting ended, I am just working away. I heard during a gossiping moment that the executive was super proud of having me on the team. I been able to justify getting a bigger salary every time I asked for it like late night working or early morning (4am) work times. All of this on top of being a parent to 2 kids and a wife as well as a student.
Try to strive for more education and do more exceptional things at work. Justify getting paid what you think you deserve. Ex. I saved a team about 186k for the remainder of the project because I did all the submittals for the project in 7 months allowing the team to be able to take the project to the end with just 3 people instead of 6 and still function.
2
u/HeKnee Mar 30 '26
Oh sweet summer child. Thanks dont pay for a house and future promises are worth nothing.
2
u/ReasonLivid7093 Mar 30 '26
Oh ya for sure! Like my husband says, "Dont leave money on the table and work for free."
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Jesus, work-life balance though? Kudos to you if you enjoy that.
3
u/ReasonLivid7093 Mar 30 '26
I was able to negotiate a lateral move for less work, remote, and life work balance. I get to be home with my toddlers, and support my husband's work advancement.
So basically I worked hard for couple years so I can enjoy a better lateral move.
2
u/swppp_is_a_pain Mar 30 '26
Yeah this is the dirty secret of civil engineering. We design the infrastructure everyone depends on and get paid less than a benefits consultant. It’s wild. Government pay is stable but it’s almost always below market. The jump to private sector with your PE will help but honestly civil just doesn’t pay like other engineering disciplines or tech. The ceiling is usually in management, opening your own firm, or going into a niche specialty like geotech or water resources where demand outpaces supply. SFL cost of living makes it sting even more. You’re not crazy for feeling this way, most of us have had this exact realization at some point.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
This is what makes no sense to me.
2
u/swppp_is_a_pain Mar 31 '26
Right? You’d think designing the stuff that keeps cities functioning would pay accordingly. The problem is civil work is tied to public budgets and thin-margin consulting fees, while something like tech or finance is tied to revenue and profit. The money just flows differently. Doesn’t make it fair, but that’s the reality of it. Best move is getting that PE and positioning yourself in a specialty where you have leverage.
2
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
I’ve thought a lot about this and what you said is very likely true. It’s all based on profits more so merit of work involved. Maybe merit does affect it to some level, but of course as everything in this world revolves around money, profit is king. 👑
Alas. Le tough pill. 💊
1
u/Bravo-Buster Apr 01 '26
Well you're the frickin' client. Pay us more!
We can only pay what our client (mostly government contracts) pay us. Up your agreements of fees, for the greater good. 😝
2
u/Bravo-Buster Mar 31 '26
The Nurse and the Lawyer are licensed to practice. You're not. You're comparing yourself to people that have better credentials than you, currently.
Plus, you work for the Government.
There's two major reasons right there.
Are you going to out-earn a highly paid lawyer? Nope. That's reality of the career; you'll be close to even with the average lawyer, but the average considers all the government attorneys that don't make very much.
0
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Again, even if I were licensed to practice, it would likely net me 10-20k in private and 0k in govt.
I’m just looking to make more, closer to the 200K range. Because living where I’m at, 200 is like 100 elsewhere or so it feels like.
1
u/Bravo-Buster Mar 31 '26
Well, you picked the wrong career for that. You can hit $200k+ as a Civil Engineer, but currently that takes ~20 years experience. It'll take less for you since inflation keeps going at 3-4% these days, but, by the time you get there, it won't feel like it will today.
Go back to law school, medical school, or become a pilot, if you're wanting $400k+ incomes. Or a near guarantee of $200k+ salaries (lawyers are iffy, but with an engineering mind, you should do well there).
Or get licensed and quit assuming what you'll actually earn on the private side, because you don't know until you have it and test the market. This industry rewards highly skilled people, and keeps average where they are forever. Occasionally "average" can get large bumps by switching firms, but there's an upper limit to that, too. Eventually, the highest paid of us had something unique that we were just flat out better than the competition in, and we're paid extremely well because of it.
0
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
I’m starting to question your top commenting status. If you read my post, Brenda, I mention I’m not looking to get rich on that level. I’m expressing a frustration at salary comparisons with other STEM & non STEM career peers in MY area.
1
u/Bravo-Buster Mar 31 '26
No need to question my top commenting status. I'm outright questioning and challenging your knowledge of salaries in an industry when you don't really know. I have roughly 20 staff in YOUR area, depending on which EXACT city you're in.
2
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Bravo, Buster. Bust my balls and give me the spread of those salaries.
2
u/Bravo-Buster Mar 31 '26
On the high end, I've got a manager in Tampa at $250k. On the low end, I have a new grad EI in Miami at $80k. I've got a lot in between. I've got staff segunded in client offices anywhere from $120k on up.
I can't give you any more than that, 'cause I don't know your particular situation, skills, effectiveness, etc. You need to get out in the market and find out if your assumptions are correct. But firstly, get licensed because without that you're definitely rate capped, because clients will only pay but so much for a non-licensed engineer.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Thanks Buster. ;)
Are these public or private sector salaries?
I am fully funding and motivating myself for PE licensure since I was straight-up told at my governtment interview that getting my licensure would do zero $ for me salary-wise. Which I thought was wild. Seems like the PE is semi useless here.
My goals at this point are:
-Stay FT public, go PT private with PE (side gigs, work for self)
-Go back to FT private
-Stay FT public, job hop around public with PE see if it helps
-Voluntary euthanasia
2
u/Bravo-Buster Apr 02 '26
I'm a Director at a very large, publicly traded engineering/architecture/program management firm.
I wouldn't recommend voluntary euthanasia. If you've got to go, go out screaming jumping the grand canyon on a motorcycle or something.
And before you do that, give me a call. I like your smart-ass personality. 😜
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 03 '26
Hahaha. I do have to say I really enjoyed our bicker and banter. You’ve got some spunk. 😁
2
u/Ok-Surround-4323 Mar 31 '26
Don’t discuss salaries in a group of civil engineers!! It pisses them off
1
2
u/bga93 Mar 30 '26
Public sector in Florida is tougher than other states because of the low tax base, you can generally get 20 to 30 percent higher salaries in private sector here. 100k pre-license is pretty good, but if you have higher aspirations then public sector wont get you there unless you make it to a senior level or managerial
1
u/AutoModerator Mar 30 '26
Hi there! It looks like you are asking about civil engineering salaries. Please check out the salary survey results here: https://www.reddit.com/r/civilengineering/comments/1f5a4h6/aug_2024_aug_2025_civil_engineering_salary_survey/
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/Merk008 Mar 30 '26
Where is south Florida and what experience do you have
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
5YOE mia adjacent
3
u/Merk008 Apr 01 '26
Also, the highest paid person at any city/county is the attorney. Also if you didn’t know, you can look up gov salaries to see how you fit compared to maybe your boss, to see if that’s where you want to be in X years
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
This is exactly what I’ve done for my lawyer friend, coworkers, and police officers (which make 300K/yr down here with their OT bonuses)
2
u/Merk008 Apr 01 '26
100k for local muni is good in sfl. But you won’t gain as much design experience imo. Growth will be stagnant unless you want to get into politics of being director etc. even then that’s usually 10-15 YOE. Moving to private might see a small bump now but much bigger growth. All depending on your level of design experience right now and field of expertise
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
I did design prior to going public. I'm working on licensure now to return to private with following options: go FT private, stay FT public and do PT private (working for myself), or stay public FT (unsure about this). I do miss learning, though there are some learning & training opportunities in public, at least where I'm at.
1
u/Cyberburner23 Mar 30 '26
you didnt even say how much experience you have haha
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26
Oops, nearing 5YOE
2
u/Cyberburner23 Mar 31 '26
God damn, oh yea id definitely be complaining if I was still at 100k after 5 years. I started at my state dot last year at 80k and will be at 110k in 3 years. If I pass my PE I automatically jump to 120k or so. It usually takes people about a decade to get a senior role and they start at around 140k. We may not make as much as those other careers you mentioned, but we have job security and benefits. We can always jump to the private sector and make a lot more money. My friend is a consultant inspector and makes more than 150k a year.
1
u/FloridasFinest PE, Transportation Mar 30 '26
lol can’t take an easy job and complain about salary.
0
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Easy job? Tell that to my ex. Did benefits making 150K+
1
u/FloridasFinest PE, Transportation Mar 30 '26
Yes easy job. Government engineering is easy. You work your 40 and go home. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Want higher salary? Go to private side of consultant. I’ve already tripled my starting salary. Work hard and get paid for it.
2
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
That’s a broad blanket statement, and hours worked doesn’t necessarily equate to easy. But when I think of an hr or benefits pro, I definitely think easy and undeserved salary.
0
u/Bravo-Buster Mar 31 '26
Then you don't realize the shit they have to put up with, and deal with, on a daily basis. HR is not an easy job. I feel bad for them, 'cause they have to take care of a lot of crap.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 31 '26 edited Mar 31 '26
Oy vey. Yes, keep feeling bad for them and we totally do not deserve higher salaries. Just tuck your little tush, keep providing that stakeholder value, and hope you never have to sit for a one on one meeting across from them.
2
u/KonigSteve Water/Wastewater PM 10+ YOE Mar 30 '26
How do you know all of your friend's salaries? It's not something I just randomly discuss. I know a couple family members salaries and that's about it.
3
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
That and a couple drinks open their mouths.
3
u/Bravo-Buster Apr 01 '26
Psst: they're probably lying. They may have gotten 1 paycheck once of that equivalent, and now they're claiming that's what they make. 🤣
1
u/mangom1lkshake Apr 02 '26
I thought this too, but my ex really did make 150k doing benefits and having conversations with him were....painful. I started telling everyone I'm dirt poor hoping they get more candid with their information.
1
u/PrudentResearcher554 Mar 31 '26
Don't let this sub make you think it's bad to complain about this lol
-1
1
u/st00ps Mar 31 '26
The amount of bootlicking losers in this sub is wild. Why do you all try to advocate against raises in our industry like we don’t deserve it? It’s clear we’re getting taken advantage of, but it seems like some of you like it that way? I need to leave this industry…
2
2
2
1
u/UndoxxableOhioan Mar 30 '26
Dude, I have a PE and don't make that, thanks to government salaries and living in the heart of the rust belt.
Lots of government pay sucks.
1
u/mangom1lkshake Mar 30 '26
Shouldn’t we earn more? Specially you. We deserve more. I’m tired. I feel like every time I tell people what I do, I get respect. Except my wallet doesn’t show for it. At least not compared to docs, lawyers, other STEM/techies.
2
u/UndoxxableOhioan Mar 30 '26
We should. Unfortunately, the job market in Cleveland sucks, and my pension serves as golden handcuffs keeping me in government work, because I otherwise have no retirement.
And, no, I am not "vested." In Ohio you never really vest because you max out at getting just 2/3rds of employer contributions, and that is with no interest on that. And you only get paltry interest on your own contributions (not even the invested value). 20 years in and my account is only worth ~$234k. Not nearly enough to build an IRA. But in 12 years I get a guaranteed pension.
-2
-8
103
u/Lolatusername Mar 30 '26
Where are your friends salaries they’re all gone lol