Bottom quarter
$109K
Civil Engineer Salary in Los Angeles
What you should make. What you should ask for. Calculated from 1M+ data points, refreshed monthly.
Median
$132K
Top quarter
$158K
Top 10%
$182K
Adjusted for Los Angeles at 1.15× the national baseline. See the math →
What this number means.
Civil Engineer in Los Angeles pulls a median of $132,250 at mid-career, with a top-quartile band reaching $157,550 and the top 10% at $181,700. Los Angeles's cost-of-living tilt is 1.15× — the band reflects that. $157,550 is what top-quartile Civil Engineer pay looks like in Los Angeles. Don't undersell.
How to negotiate this
- Anchor$157,550 — the top-quartile number. This is the number you say first.
- Target$144,900 — where a fair counter lands. Above the median, below the anchor.
- Floor$132,250 — below this, you're underpaid. Walking away gets cheaper than staying.
Carry the math. Not the maybe.
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Civil Engineer elsewhere
Adjacent metros
Read how these numbers are computed →
Numbers are estimates. Your offer depends on the company, the level, the stock piece, and the conversation you're about to have. AMMO is a tool. You are the negotiator.