Civil engineer salary vs the national line
If you are a civil engineer in Australia, your pay probably sits above the national full-time average. The latest ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, puts the national full-time adult ordinary-time average at $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. For civil engineering professionals, the median full-time weekly earnings were $2,217 in May 2025, according to Jobs and Skills Australia, which draws on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. That is about $115,284 a year – roughly $7,000 above the national line.
But the national average is just that: an average across all industries, states, and sectors. Your actual civil engineer salary can move above or below that line depending on where you work and how your pay is set. This article explains the main factors that shift the figure.
State differences matter
Full-time average weekly earnings vary significantly by state and territory. The on-site notes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings, May 2026, show:
- Australian Capital Territory: $2,290.20 a week ($119,090 a year)
- Western Australia: $2,227.40 a week ($115,825 a year)
- New South Wales: $2,108.80 a week ($109,658 a year)
- Victoria: $2,041.10 a week ($106,137 a year)
- Queensland: $2,039.70 a week ($106,064 a year)
- Northern Territory: $1,984.10 a week ($103,173 a year)
- South Australia: $1,970.20 a week ($102,450 a year)
- Tasmania: $1,846.30 a week ($96,008 a year)
Civil engineers are concentrated in states with large infrastructure projects, mining, or government work. Western Australia and the ACT tend to pay above the national median for the occupation. In Tasmania, where the overall average is lower, civil engineer pay may also be below the national median for the role. States and territories provides more detail on how location affects earnings.
Award coverage and enterprise agreements
How your pay is set also matters. The ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey, May 2025, shows that 38.5% of all employees have their pay set by individual arrangement, 34.6% by collective agreement, and 22.7% by award only. For professionals like civil engineers, individual arrangements and collective agreements are more common than awards.
The Professional Employees Award 2020 sets minimum rates for engineers. From 1 July 2026, award minimums rose by 4.75%. A Level 1 professional engineer under the award earns about $1,300 a week, but the median of $2,217 shows that most civil engineers are paid well above the award. Enterprise agreements in large engineering consultancies, government agencies, or construction firms often include higher base salaries, project allowances, and overtime.
If you are covered by an enterprise agreement, your pay may be tied to a specific project or employer. That can push your salary above the national line, especially in boom periods. Conversely, if you are on an individual contract, your negotiating power and experience will determine where you sit.
Gender and age
The civil engineering profession is predominantly male (87% male, 13% female) and relatively young, with a median age of 35, compared to 39 for all occupations. The gender pay gap in the profession is not published separately, but nationally, full-time women earn a median of $1,674 a week compared to $1,250 for women (all employees). For civil engineers, the median weekly earnings of $2,217 apply to full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. That figure does not break down by gender, but given the male-dominated workforce, the average for men is likely higher than the overall median.
How to place your salary on the line
The national full-time average is a useful benchmark, but it is not a target. If you are a civil engineer earning $2,217 a week, you are above the line. If you earn less, you may be in a lower-paying state or on an award rate. You can place a salary on the line to see how your pay compares to the national average, the full-time median, and the minimum wage.
Remember that the national average is an arithmetic mean, while the civil engineer figure is a median. The median is less affected by very high or low earners, so it is a better measure of what a typical civil engineer earns. The ABS publishes medians for occupations in the Employee Earnings and Hours survey, but only for broad occupation groups. For civil engineering professionals, the median is available from Jobs and Skills Australia.
Other benchmarks
- National full-time adult ordinary-time average: $2,083.70 a week ($108,352 a year)
- Full-time median (all occupations): about $1,741 a week ($90,532 a year)
- All-employees median: about $1,425 a week ($74,100 a year)
- National minimum wage (from 1 July 2026): $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week ($52,255 a year on 38 hours)
Civil engineers earn well above the minimum wage and above the all-employees median. The gap to the full-time average is about $133 a week, or $6,932 a year. That is a meaningful premium for a profession that requires a university degree and often involves project responsibility.
For more on how different occupations compare, see Job medians. If you want to see how industry affects pay, check Industry medians.
The bottom line
A civil engineer salary in Australia is typically above the national full-time average, but the exact figure depends on your state, your employer, and whether you are covered by an award or an enterprise agreement. The median of $2,217 a week is a solid benchmark, but your own pay may be higher or lower. Use the tools on this site to see where you stand.