Municipal Engineer Salary in the United States

How much does a Municipal Engineer make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Municipal Engineer in the United States is $73,417 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,901
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $64,097 to $77,858
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55,611

Key Factors That Influence Municipal Engineer Salaries

A Municipal Engineer'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 Municipal Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Municipal Engineer'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:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $75,359
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $87,590
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $100,890
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $127,054
  • Expert (over 8 years): $121,972
Levels Salary
Municipal... Level Municipal Engineer$75,359
Field Eng... Level Municipal Engineer$87,590
Field Eng... Level Municipal Engineer$100,890
Field Eng... Level Municipal Engineer$127,054
Field Eng... Level Municipal Engineer$121,972

How Do Municipal Engineer 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 Municipal Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $81,287.
  • California: $80,979.
  • Massachusetts: $79,900.

Top Paying Cities for Municipal Engineers

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: $92,601
  • San Francisco: $91,587
  • Oakland: $89,657

What Skills Can Increase a Municipal Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 7.17% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Data Science (Mentioned in 2.71% Job Postings): Data science is a multi-disciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured data. Data science is the same concept as data mining and big data: "use the most powerful hardware, the most powerful programming systems, and the most efficient algorithms to solve problems". Data science is a "concept to unify statistics, data analysis, machine learning and their related methods" in order to "understand and analyze actual phenomena" with data. It employs techniques and theories drawn from many fields within the context of mathematics, statistics, computer science, and information science. Turing award winner Jim Gray imagined data science as a "fourth paradigm" of science (empirical, theoretical, computational and now data-driven) and asserted that "everything about science is changing because of the impact of information technology" and the data deluge. In 2015, the American Statistical Association identified database management, statistics and machine learning, and distributed and parallel systems as the three emerging foundational professional communities.
  • Information Engineering (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): Is the engineering discipline that deals with the generation, distribution, analysis, and use of information, data, and knowledge in systems. This field focuses on developing software information systems using a software engineering approach.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 7.17%
Data Science 2.71%
Information Engineering 1.83%

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 Municipal Engineer's salary.

  • Construction Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 31%.
  • Finance and Accounting: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
  • Production Schedule: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Construction Scheduling $96,176
31%
Finance and Accounting $89,569
22%
Production Schedule $89,569
22%

Municipal Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Municipal Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average. In contrast, Municipal Engineer positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Municipal Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Municipal Engineer

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$95,442$46.030%
Energy & Utilities$88,101$42.020%
Healthcare$80,759$39.010%
Business Services$77,088$37.05%

How Education impacts a Municipal Engineer's Salary?

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

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Municipal Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $68,403 and $72,407).

Municipal Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Municipal Engineer
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 4.8%
High School 4.8%
Associates 5.4%
Bachelors 78.5%
Masters 11.3%
Doctorate 0.0%

Municipal Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Municipal Engineer'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.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$64,097
Average $73,417/year
$77,858
$5,341
Average $6,118/month
$6,488
$1,233
Average $1,412/week
$1,497
$31
Average $35/hour
$37
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $77,858 $6,488 $1,497 $37
Average $73,417 $6,118 $1,412 $35
25th Percentile $64,097 $5,341 $1,233 $31

Most common benefits for Municipal Engineer

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

Common company salaries for Municipal Engineer

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

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FAQ about Municipal Engineer

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Municipal Engineer?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Municipal Engineer roles, with salaries approximately 30% 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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