What are the main factors that influence a Geotechnical Engineer I's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Geotechnical Engineer 's salary?

A Geotechnical Engineer 's salary grows with experience: a Geotechnical Engineer I (0-2 years)earns $74,081, a Geotechnical Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $86,034, a Geotechnical Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $110,410, a Geotechnical Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $127,819,

What are the highest paying states for a Geotechnical Engineer I?

Geotechnical Engineer I salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Geotechnical Engineer I roles are District of Columbia $82,022, California $81,711, Massachusetts $80,622. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Geotechnical Engineer roles make?

Salaries for Geotechnical Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Expert Geotechnical Engineer: $127,900; Geotechnical Engineer IV: $127,819; Senior Geotechnical Engineer: $110,500; Geotechnical Engineer III: $110,410; Intermediate Geotechnical Engineer: $86,100.

How do different companies affect a Geotechnical Engineer I's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Geotechnical Engineer I roles. Large, established industry leaders like Kpmg Us LLP ($114,295) and Warner Bros Discovery ($114,096) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $88,138.

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary in the United States

How much does a Geotechnical Engineer I make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Geotechnical Engineer I in the United States is $74,081 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

However, a Geotechnical Engineer I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $88,362
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $66,940 to $81,556
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $60,438

10% $60,438

50% (Median) $74,081

90% $88,362

Geotechnical Engineer I Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,556	$6,796	$1,568	$39
Average	$74,081	$6,173	$1,425	$36
25th Percentile	$66,940	$5,578	$1,287	$32

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Key Factors That Influence Geotechnical Engineer I Salaries

A Geotechnical Engineer I's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Geotechnical Engineer I Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Geotechnical Engineer I's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Geotechnical Engineer I (0-2 years): $74,081
Geotechnical Engineer II (2-4 years): $86,034
Geotechnical Engineer III (4-7 years): $110,410
Geotechnical Engineer IV (7+ years): $127,819

Job Role	Years of Experience	Average Salary
Geotechnical Engineer I	0-2 years	$74,081
Geotechnical Engineer II	2-4 years	$86,034
Geotechnical Engineer III	4-7 years	$110,410
Geotechnical Engineer IV	7+ years	$127,819

View as Graph

How Do Geotechnical Engineer Is Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Geotechnical Engineer Is. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $82,022.
California: $81,711.
Massachusetts: $80,622.

District of Columbia $82,022 California $81,711 Massachusetts $80,622 Washington $80,326 New Jersey $80,296 Alaska $80,193 Connecticut $79,170 New York $78,756

Hawaii $77,429 Rhode Island $76,807 Maryland $76,385 Minnesota $75,807 Colorado $75,585 Illinois $75,511 Oregon $75,229 Delaware $75,022

New Hampshire $74,891 Virginia $74,600 Pennsylvania $73,748 Nevada $73,318 North Dakota $73,177 Michigan $72,955 Wisconsin $72,873 Vermont $72,711

Texas $72,259 Maine $72,229 Arizona $72,185 Ohio $72,133 Georgia $71,451 Indiana $71,110 Wyoming $71,044 Utah $70,940

Iowa $70,896 Kansas $70,540 Louisiana $70,436 North Carolina $70,399 Missouri $70,384 Florida $70,095 Montana $69,940 Nebraska $69,792

Kentucky $69,710 South Carolina $69,414 Tennessee $69,229 Idaho $69,155 New Mexico $68,614 Oklahoma $68,495 Alabama $68,058 South Dakota $67,325

Arkansas $66,925 West Virginia $66,710 Mississippi $66,065

Top Paying Cities for Geotechnical Engineer I

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $93,438
San Francisco: $92,415
Oakland: $90,468

San Jose, CA $93,438

San Francisco, CA $92,415

Oakland, CA $90,468

New York, NY $85,296

Paramus, NJ $84,259

Queens Village, NY $84,255

Passaic, NJ $84,185

Bergenfield, NJ $84,178

Stamford, CT $84,015

Huntington, NY $83,985

Newark, NJ $83,437

Bridgeport, CT $83,281

Vallejo, CA $83,134

New Brunswick, NJ $83,104

Petaluma, CA $83,060

Middlesex, NJ $82,919

Somerset, NJ $82,867

Santa Cruz, CA $82,771

Boston, MA $82,319

Monterey, CA $82,059

Seattle, WA $81,889

Santa Rosa, CA $81,874

Los Angeles, CA $81,852

Juneau, AK $81,659

Washington, DC $81,578

Orange, CA $81,314

Santa Ana, CA $81,119

Long Beach, CA $81,045

Anaheim, CA $81,030

Anchorage, AK $80,993

Santa Maria, CA $80,771

Everett, WA $80,756

Danbury, CT $80,495

Bremerton, WA $80,393

Tacoma, WA $80,126

New Suffolk, NY $80,125

Sacramento, CA $80,104

Santa Barbara, CA $80,022

Trenton, NJ $79,941

San Diego, CA $79,941

Brockton, MA $79,859

Fairbanks, AK $79,678

Lompoc, CA $79,489

Lowell, MA $79,429

Ventura, CA $79,415

Nashua, NH $79,400

Stockton, CA $79,393

Modesto, CA $78,852

Poughkeepsie, NY $78,689

Olympia, WA $78,548

Kennewick, WA $78,548

New Haven, CT $78,518

Lawrence, MA $78,252

Hartford, CT $78,178

Riverside, CA $78,163

New Bedford, MA $78,089

Richland, WA $78,089

Bakersfield, CA $77,985

San Bernardino, CA $77,955

New Britain, CT $77,948

Atlantic City, NJ $77,948

New London, CT $77,918

Norwich, CT $77,896

Portsmouth, NH $77,881

Boulder, CO $77,724

Portland, OR $77,622

Worcester, MA $77,615

Minneapolis, MN $77,385

Philadelphia, PA $77,281

Honolulu, HI $77,037

Saint Paul, MN $77,001

Vineland, NJ $76,985

Providence, RI $76,770

Chicago, IL $76,555

Bellingham, WA $76,466

Springfield, MA $76,407

Baltimore, MD $76,385

Chico, CA $76,200

Pittsfield, MA $76,000

Manchester, NH $75,859

Spokane, WA $75,533

Denver, CO $75,526

Albany, NY $75,177

Troy, NY $75,148

Nassau, NY $75,068

Schenectady, NY $74,992

Wilmington, DE $74,933

Burlington, VT $74,829

Salem, OR $74,800

Portland, ME $74,570

Yakima, WA $74,496

Rochester, MN $74,266

Reno, NV $74,229

Fresno, CA $74,229

Milwaukee, WI $74,162

Detroit, MI $74,088

Ann Arbor, MI $74,076

Allentown, PA $74,066

Colorado Springs, CO $73,940

Syracuse, NY $73,903

Carson City, NV $73,903

Houston, TX $73,799

Eugene, OR $73,762

Gary, IN $73,674

Springfield, OR $73,614

Bismarck, ND $73,599

Galveston, TX $73,548

Medford, OR $73,436

Fort Collins, CO $73,407

Concord, NH $73,370

Austin, TX $73,348

Mesa, AZ $73,192

Reading, PA $73,185

Phoenix, AZ $73,177

Dallas, TX $73,155

Saint Cloud, MN $73,084

Madison, WI $72,985

Utica, NY $72,785

Rochester, NY $72,666

Des Moines, IA $72,659

Raleigh, NC $72,651

Atlanta, GA $72,540

Battle Creek, MI $72,518

Salt Lake City, UT $72,496

Lancaster, PA $72,385

Harrisburg, PA $72,281

Kansas City, MO $72,207

Champaign, IL $72,192

Kansas City, KS $72,192

Fort Worth, TX $72,185

Columbus, OH $72,172

Boca Raton, FL $72,155

Pittsburgh, PA $72,125

Richmond, VA $72,096

Indianapolis, IN $72,081

Cleveland, OH $72,073

Las Vegas, NV $71,985

Cincinnati, OH $71,985

Petersburg, VA $71,873

Huntsville, AL $71,762

Lansing, MI $71,713

Lebanon, PA $71,703

Pueblo, CO $71,696

Appleton, WI $71,673

Buffalo, NY $71,644

Dayton, OH $71,622

Racine, WI $71,607

Charlotte, NC $71,599

Saint Louis, MO $71,577

York, PA $71,533

Elkhart, IN $71,533

Gastonia, NC $71,519

Billings, MT $71,501

Beaumont, TX $71,481

Lorain, OH $71,466

Benton Harbor, MI $71,451

Toledo, OH $71,436

Binghamton, NY $71,399

Rock Hill, SC $71,392

Rockford, IL $71,355

Springfield, IL $71,325

Elyria, OH $71,318

Fargo, ND $71,318

Flagstaff, AZ $71,266

Fort Lauderdale, FL $71,221

Duluth, MN $71,177

Miami, FL $71,177

Cheyenne, WY $71,125

Grand Forks, ND $71,125

Bangor, ME $70,962

Cedar Rapids, IA $70,881

Durham, NC $70,850

Louisville, KY $70,844

Grand Rapids, MI $70,829

Hialeah, FL $70,821

Casper, WY $70,718

Scranton, PA $70,629

New Orleans, LA $70,607

Virginia Beach, VA $70,599

Akron, OH $70,562

Peoria, IL $70,466

Sarasota, FL $70,451

Nashville, TN $70,399

Omaha, NE $70,399

Green Bay, WI $70,399

Baton Rouge, LA $70,362

Charleston, SC $70,347

Jamestown, NY $70,310

Davenport, IA $70,310

Tucson, AZ $70,273

Saint Petersburg, FL $70,229

Tampa, FL $70,214

Evansville, IN $70,170

Port Arthur, TX $70,170

Bradenton, FL $70,140

Santa Fe, NM $70,007

Orlando, FL $69,873

Clearwater, FL $69,851

Canton, OH $69,695

La Crosse, WI $69,695

Albuquerque, NM $69,651

Newport News, VA $69,644

High Point, NC $69,621

Ogden, UT $69,592

Corpus Christi, TX $69,532

Norfolk, VA $69,488

Laramie, WY $69,488

Rock Island, IL $69,444

Saginaw, MI $69,429

Jacksonville, FL $69,421

Salisbury, NC $69,406

Boise, ID $69,392

Moline, IL $69,355

Fort Myers, FL $69,332

Memphis, TN $69,318

Tulsa, OK $69,281

Waterloo, IA $69,236

Spartanburg, SC $69,162

Lincoln, NE $69,125

Fort Wayne, IN $69,110

Provo, UT $69,103

Cedar Falls, IA $69,014

San Antonio, TX $68,984

Greensboro, NC $68,955

South Bend, IN $68,947

Savannah, GA $68,866

Muskegon, MI $68,836

Birmingham, AL $68,829

Winston Salem, NC $68,792

Lake Charles, LA $68,614

Anderson, IN $68,599

Lexington, KY $68,577

Augusta, GA $68,555

Greenville, SC $68,555

Lima, OH $68,495

Wichita, KS $68,488

Tuscaloosa, AL $68,488

Columbia, SC $68,421

Springfield, OH $68,406

Asheville, NC $68,288

Bloomington, IN $68,236

Knoxville, TN $67,969

Shreveport, LA $67,962

Wilmington, NC $67,866

Roanoke, VA $67,866

Topeka, KS $67,732

Frankfort, KY $67,724

Oklahoma City, OK $67,673

Chillicothe, OH $67,643

Longview, TX $67,636

Melbourne, FL $67,629

Sioux Falls, SD $67,510

Mobile, AL $67,503

Terre Haute, IN $67,473

Altoona, PA $67,429

Amarillo, TX $67,377

Killeen, TX $67,354

Fayetteville, AR $67,295

Chattanooga, TN $67,273

Sioux City, IA $67,206

Idaho Falls, ID $67,191

Lynchburg, VA $67,132

Gainesville, FL $67,036

Portsmouth, OH $66,999

Little Rock, AR $66,984

Lafayette, LA $66,954

Youngstown, OH $66,954

Daytona Beach, FL $66,910

Clarksville, TN $66,903

Pensacola, FL $66,895

Temple, TX $66,890

Hopkinsville, KY $66,673

Erie, PA $66,658

Florence, SC $66,628

Charleston, WV $66,510

Great Falls, MT $66,473

Macon, GA $66,369

Tallahassee, FL $66,362

Fayetteville, NC $66,347

Waco, TX $66,332

Helena, MT $66,280

Pine Bluff, AR $66,252

Vincennes, IN $66,162

Lubbock, TX $66,132

Alamogordo, NM $66,088

Twin Falls, ID $66,021

Rapid City, SD $65,999

Jackson, MS $65,865

Huntington, WV $65,860

Greenville, MS $65,858

Parkersburg, WV $65,782

Montgomery, AL $65,769

Wichita Falls, TX $65,695

Springfield, MO $65,695

Biloxi, MS $65,658

Monroe, LA $65,584

Johnstown, PA $65,532

Sumter, SC $65,502

Columbus, GA $65,495

Pascagoula, MS $65,354

Abilene, TX $65,354

Kingsport, TN $65,162

Albany, GA $65,162

Gulfport, MS $65,139

Alexandria, LA $64,895

Fort Smith, AR $64,710

El Paso, TX $64,510

Las Cruces, NM $64,176

Harlingen, TX $63,988

Pocatello, ID $63,976

Florence, AL $63,880

Brownsville, TX $63,865

Mcallen, TX $63,710

Dothan, AL $63,606

Columbus, MS $63,166

Altus, OK $62,821

Lawton, OK $62,680

Pierre, SD $62,413

What Skills Can Increase a Geotechnical Engineer I's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Consulting (Mentioned in 11.03% Job Postings): Providing technical or business expertise and advice to internal or external clients.
Laboratory Testing (Mentioned in 3.18% Job Postings): Performing medical procedures and testing of blood and urine samples or body substances to determine appropriate diagnosis and treatments.
AutoCAD (Mentioned in 1.87% Job Postings): AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers.

Skills	Demand Percentage
Consulting	11.03%
Laboratory Testing	3.18%
AutoCAD	1.87%

See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Geotechnical Engineer I's salary.

Industry Knowledge: Can increase your salary by up to 14%.
Consultancy: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Technical Skills: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Industry Knowledge	$84,452	14%
Consultancy	$82,230	11%
Technical Skills	$80,748	9%

Get Latest Data

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Geotechnical Engineer I salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $80,475. While startup companies pay approximate $68,284.

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary by Company Size

Company Size	Employees	Average Salary
Startup	1~50	$68,284
Growth Stage	51~500	$72,167
Established	501~5000	$77,773
Enterprise	5000+	$80,475

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Geotechnical Engineer I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Business Services and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Geotechnical Engineer positions in Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit or Construction typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Geotechnical Engineer I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Geotechnical Engineer I

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Business Services	$103,713	$50.0	40%
Energy & Utilities	$81,489	$39.0	10%

How Education impacts an Geotechnical Engineer I's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Geotechnical Engineer I enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Geotechnical Engineer I with a Bachelor's Degree is between $71,037 and $74,577.

Geotechnical Engineer I Salaries by Degree Level

$76,100
$75,400
$74,700
$73,900
$73,200
$72,500
$71,800
$71,100

Typical Education for Geotechnical Engineer I
Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.8%
High School	33.9%
Associates	0.8%
Bachelors	33.9%
Masters	57.9%
Doctorate	7.4%

View as Graph

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Geotechnical Engineer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

$66,940

Average $74,081/year

$81,556

$5,578

Average $6,173/month

$6,796

$1,287

Average $1,425/week

$1,568

$32

Average $36/hour

$39

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,556	$6,796	$1,568	$39
Average	$74,081	$6,173	$1,425	$36
25th Percentile	$66,940	$5,578	$1,287	$32

Geotechnical Engineer I Salary Growth & Career Path

Geotechnical Engineer I

Next Role

Advancement

Geotechnical Engineer II Geotechnical Engineer III

For a Geotechnical Engineer I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Geotechnical Engineer II role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $86,034 - a projected growth of 16% over your current level.

Salary Trends for Geotechnical Engineer I

Salaries for a Geotechnical Engineer I can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $84,095 in 2023 to around $77,622 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Geotechnical Engineer I salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Geotechnical Engineer I Over Time

$???
$84,095
$81,116
$77,622
$???
$???

2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$84,095
2024	$81,116
2025	$77,622
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Geotechnical Engineer I

Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Geotechnical Engineer I

Here are companies hiring for Geotechnical Engineer I and their salaries, click below for more details.

K $114,295/per year

Kpmg Us LLP Business Services the United States

W $114,096/per year

Warner Bros Discovery Business Services the United States

D $111,927/per year

Dentsu International Ltd Business Services the United States

G $111,873/per year

GroupM Worldwide Inc Business Services the United States

C $111,651/per year

CoWorx Staffing Business Services the United States

C $110,194/per year

Contemporary Services Corp Business Services the United States

S $107,128/per year

Showcase Cinemas Business Services the United States

A $106,429/per year

Amentum Services Inc Business Services the United States

A $106,199/per year

Allied Universal Security Services LLC Business Services the United States

S $106,104/per year

Sodexo USA Business Services the United States

J $105,192/per year

JLL Technologies Business Services the United States

I $104,478/per year

Intact Insurance Group USA LLC Business Services the United States

N $101,619/per year

NielsenIQ Business Services the United States

T $101,470/per year

The Leading Edge Alliance Business Services the United States

H $101,308/per year

Honeywell UOP Business Services the United States

R $97,720/per year

Reeve & Associates Business Services the United States

M $97,584/per year

ManpowerGroup Global Inc Business Services the United States

F $95,980/per year

Financial Sys Nco Business Services the United States

A $95,314/per year

Arrow Global Ltd Business Services the United States

C $94,777/per year

CarMax Enterprise Services LLC Business Services the United States

D $94,479/per year

DZConneX Business Services the United States

A $93,802/per year

Adecco Staffing, USA Business Services the United States

R $92,937/per year

Resource MFG Business Services the United States

Z $92,774/per year

Zachry Brands Inc Business Services the United States

G $88,138/per year

Greystar Worldwide LLC Business Services the United States

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FAQ about Geotechnical Engineer I

1. Where can a Geotechnical Engineer I earn the most?

A Geotechnical Engineer I's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Geotechnical Engineer I earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Geotechnical Engineer I is $93,438.

2. What is the highest pay for Geotechnical Engineer I?

The highest pay for Geotechnical Engineer I is $88,362.

3. What is the lowest pay for Geotechnical Engineer I?

The lowest pay for Geotechnical Engineer I is $60,438.

4. What are the responsibilities of Geotechnical Engineer I?

Prepares and inspects projects involving drilling and exploration. Responsible for geological mapping, report writing, site characterization, numerical modeling and analysis of excavations/supports. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager. Typically requires 0-2 years of related experience. Works on projects/matters of limited complexity in a support role. Work is closely managed.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Geotechnical Engineer I?

The Business Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Geotechnical Engineer I roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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