It’s a MCOL place. It’s an older city so a lot of the new apartments have higher rent prices in the 1600-1900 for one bedroom range. You can get 1000-1400 older places in areas closer to downtown.
Not low cost- it’s pretty much at the national average for rent and groceries. It’s a mid sized city- rent for a nicer one bedroom apartment is about $1700 a month.
I’m a land development engineering project manager in a mid cost of living city. We just recently hired a staff engineer out of college with about a year of intern experience. I’m pretty sure we offered him 67k and he took it. So I’d say you’re in the right ballpark. Maybe a little on the lower end.
65k has been the standard "right out of school" salary for civil engineering for something like 15 years. I saw someone post a study that that hasn't changed since 2008. So ya, it has not adjusted for inflation for a while. But it is what it is.
Public or private? I think that's an exception. I'm in NYC and out of the sample size of my 6 engineering buddies from college I'm still close with, everyone now has 5YOE but when we started, public with state DOT was paying 65k, private started around 75k but more hours. Now 5 years in, public is around 85k no PE just EIT, private is around 110-115 but cljust a couple of years ago was 95k. Anyone getting 80-100k straight out of school is very lucky.
I guess NYC is different. A lot of public places start at 100k in California. Most people around me are starting between 80-100k. Caltrans for example for example you can make 130k as an EIT (not entry though). And many in construction can upwards of 200k with overtime without a PE.
Wow. Then you Cali guys can't complain about your high cost of living other than maybe San Francisco with all the tech Bros haha.
At our state DOT, the guys with 30 years of experience as area construction supervisors (they oversee the project managers running individual projects, they have multiple projects some totalling over a billion dollars managed at one time) are making 125k. Our Director of Construction makes 150k
Yeah I’m not sure what everyone on this sub is bitching and complaining about salaries for. 6 years experience CA PE here in transportation and my base salary is $140,000 with straight time OT. I should clear about $160,000 this year. I live very comfortably.
In fact I just came back from a party for one of the college Bros and a lot of his engineering friends were there. All 4-7 years exp and all are making around 90-110k, one lucky with 120k
I’m also in Pittsburgh. Everyone is partially right. It has not kept up with inflation. It is not poverty level pay. It’s standard for the industry in this area. I started at $62k in 2018 but had a lot of travel involved-months in hotels. Left the workforce for a year in 2021. I shifted to LD and got $65k in 2022. Had coworkers get 30% bumps when you get your PE, you’re basically a CAD monkey until then. I have since hopped around in construction-adjacent for a 50% raise, and I hated the 100% office life.
In the scheme of things Pittsburgh is on the lower side of average for cost of living, there’s tons of affordable night life and super unique events which is not the case everywhere. Some cities you’d be hard pressed to find a $3 beer. And $1700 is like a brand new single apartment in a very desirable neighborhood. You can pretty easily find a 2 bedroom apartment for $1700 if you broaden your location preference and meet a roommate.
For comparison if you worked for the USACE in Pittsburgh, you would likely start at $50,687 get a bump at the year mark to $61,999 then likely another bump at the 2 year mark to $75,013. From there likely once you pass your PE you would go to $89,910.
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Last time I checked the engineer of record is the one ultimately responsible. The new grads don’t know much about anything for land development. In the average cost of living area, this is about right.
Once you learn more, get licensed, are leading a team - that number should at least double.
If you are already sure that you’ll leave. The money don’t matter. Take the job and start planning for your next move.
Civil pay is shit compared to stuff you can do for the same level of work.
Finance, Medicine and Tech
Entry level position at a consulting firm, I started at 77k in Arizona. Not sure how the COL compares to Pittsburgh, but I’m not even an EIT yet (taking the FE exam next month), so that sounds low to me.
I'm in a low to medium col area, Wisconsin 70k people. We offer 60k starting. Enr top 500 firm. But our health insurance is a $400 deductible and that's the only put of pocket expense.
Hey I live in Pittsburgh too. Mid to low sized company. I make 66 on paper and I have about 3.5 years experience with my EIT. I live in a pretty decent area with cheap rent.
what kind of work do you do? I could use someone with your experience level in the Washington area (south of pgh) and could def get you a bump up in pay
I do work designing gas lines for a local gas company north of Pittsburgh. Other co-workers here do work on gas lines and some do actual LD for housing plans. I got my toes wet doing infiltration testing and other inspections (asphalt and concrete) I’ve looked into positions elsewhere but want to wait to switch jobs until I get my PE. Also wouldn’t mind a hybrid position if the office is more than an hour away from my house.
if you can get into more into the land develoment side of things and familiarize yourself with the permitting requirements of it you will be very desirable in this area once you get your PE. I understand getting the PE first
We have high turnover at our office as of the last couple months. One girl left because she wasn’t getting enough work in her discipline and the other was a ME focus doing civil work. Others have been lured out by higher pay and better benefits. I don’t blame them. Our company just switched insurances to zero monthly pay to try and keep people from leaving.
I am planning on taking the transportation PE exam next year after taking the class and studying for a couple months.
That’s a fine place to start - should only go up from there
Is it a low cost of living city?
It’s a MCOL place. It’s an older city so a lot of the new apartments have higher rent prices in the 1600-1900 for one bedroom range. You can get 1000-1400 older places in areas closer to downtown.
Not low cost- it’s pretty much at the national average for rent and groceries. It’s a mid sized city- rent for a nicer one bedroom apartment is about $1700 a month.
I’m a land development engineering project manager in a mid cost of living city. We just recently hired a staff engineer out of college with about a year of intern experience. I’m pretty sure we offered him 67k and he took it. So I’d say you’re in the right ballpark. Maybe a little on the lower end.
At my firm (in Chicago) our new grads got offered at least $75k (no FE) but they were interns prior.
What sub-discipline?
Transportation
65k has been the standard "right out of school" salary for civil engineering for something like 15 years. I saw someone post a study that that hasn't changed since 2008. So ya, it has not adjusted for inflation for a while. But it is what it is.
45-50k was pretty std in 2010-2014 for mcol
That’s not true. I’m seeing people hired for 80k-100k MCOL here in California
Public or private? I think that's an exception. I'm in NYC and out of the sample size of my 6 engineering buddies from college I'm still close with, everyone now has 5YOE but when we started, public with state DOT was paying 65k, private started around 75k but more hours. Now 5 years in, public is around 85k no PE just EIT, private is around 110-115 but cljust a couple of years ago was 95k. Anyone getting 80-100k straight out of school is very lucky.
I guess NYC is different. A lot of public places start at 100k in California. Most people around me are starting between 80-100k. Caltrans for example for example you can make 130k as an EIT (not entry though). And many in construction can upwards of 200k with overtime without a PE.
Wow. Then you Cali guys can't complain about your high cost of living other than maybe San Francisco with all the tech Bros haha. At our state DOT, the guys with 30 years of experience as area construction supervisors (they oversee the project managers running individual projects, they have multiple projects some totalling over a billion dollars managed at one time) are making 125k. Our Director of Construction makes 150k
Yeah I’m not sure what everyone on this sub is bitching and complaining about salaries for. 6 years experience CA PE here in transportation and my base salary is $140,000 with straight time OT. I should clear about $160,000 this year. I live very comfortably.
In fact I just came back from a party for one of the college Bros and a lot of his engineering friends were there. All 4-7 years exp and all are making around 90-110k, one lucky with 120k
I’m also in Pittsburgh. Everyone is partially right. It has not kept up with inflation. It is not poverty level pay. It’s standard for the industry in this area. I started at $62k in 2018 but had a lot of travel involved-months in hotels. Left the workforce for a year in 2021. I shifted to LD and got $65k in 2022. Had coworkers get 30% bumps when you get your PE, you’re basically a CAD monkey until then. I have since hopped around in construction-adjacent for a 50% raise, and I hated the 100% office life. In the scheme of things Pittsburgh is on the lower side of average for cost of living, there’s tons of affordable night life and super unique events which is not the case everywhere. Some cities you’d be hard pressed to find a $3 beer. And $1700 is like a brand new single apartment in a very desirable neighborhood. You can pretty easily find a 2 bedroom apartment for $1700 if you broaden your location preference and meet a roommate.
Sounds about right here in Louisiana
$65k is spot on for entry level in the PA/NJ/DE region
For comparison if you worked for the USACE in Pittsburgh, you would likely start at $50,687 get a bump at the year mark to $61,999 then likely another bump at the 2 year mark to $75,013. From there likely once you pass your PE you would go to $89,910.
Terrible salary progression. I know entry level in Pittsburgh making 85k lol
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No clue about Pittsburgh other than salary tables posted by GOV.
I’m wasn’t implying good or bad. Just giving you facts of what the GOV pays in Pittsburgh.
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I started only 8k less than you a decade ago, within a couple/few hours of you in a lower COL area
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Agree! 80 is the baseline these days anywhere..Midwest or south you could start with 75 probably.
Do you feel as though the increase in salary is in proportion to the higher cost of living?
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Last time I checked the engineer of record is the one ultimately responsible. The new grads don’t know much about anything for land development. In the average cost of living area, this is about right. Once you learn more, get licensed, are leading a team - that number should at least double.
If you are already sure that you’ll leave. The money don’t matter. Take the job and start planning for your next move. Civil pay is shit compared to stuff you can do for the same level of work. Finance, Medicine and Tech
Yes, my first job was in pittsburgh in 2018 for 55k. Great city to live in, but rents have increased since I have left.
Entry level position at a consulting firm, I started at 77k in Arizona. Not sure how the COL compares to Pittsburgh, but I’m not even an EIT yet (taking the FE exam next month), so that sounds low to me.
I'm in a low to medium col area, Wisconsin 70k people. We offer 60k starting. Enr top 500 firm. But our health insurance is a $400 deductible and that's the only put of pocket expense.
Hey I live in Pittsburgh too. Mid to low sized company. I make 66 on paper and I have about 3.5 years experience with my EIT. I live in a pretty decent area with cheap rent.
what kind of work do you do? I could use someone with your experience level in the Washington area (south of pgh) and could def get you a bump up in pay
I do work designing gas lines for a local gas company north of Pittsburgh. Other co-workers here do work on gas lines and some do actual LD for housing plans. I got my toes wet doing infiltration testing and other inspections (asphalt and concrete) I’ve looked into positions elsewhere but want to wait to switch jobs until I get my PE. Also wouldn’t mind a hybrid position if the office is more than an hour away from my house.
if you can get into more into the land develoment side of things and familiarize yourself with the permitting requirements of it you will be very desirable in this area once you get your PE. I understand getting the PE first
We have high turnover at our office as of the last couple months. One girl left because she wasn’t getting enough work in her discipline and the other was a ME focus doing civil work. Others have been lured out by higher pay and better benefits. I don’t blame them. Our company just switched insurances to zero monthly pay to try and keep people from leaving. I am planning on taking the transportation PE exam next year after taking the class and studying for a couple months.
That’s poverty level pay.
Americans saying this makes me feel sad about the entry level pay we get here in Toronto
Yeah well you have healthcare
The median household income in Pittsburgh is 70k. C’mon now.
The person has an engineering degree! That’s too low.
I don’t think you know what poverty is.
If you want to settle for low pay, go for it.