H-1B Hiring for Civil Engineers Shows Extremely Low Activity in FY2025
Explore H-1B visa filings for Civil Engineers. View sponsoring employers, salary data from 100 filings, and approval rates from DOL public records.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total H-1B Petitions | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $94,662 |
| Salary Range | $62,712 - $185,000 |
| Top Sponsor | Black & Veatch Corporation |
| Primary Location | Texas |
Civil Engineers is one of the H-1B visa categories with 7 filings and an average salary of $97,881. H-1B hiring for Civil Engineers is currently very limited, with only 7 petitions filed in FY2025. The average salary offered is around $97,881, with a median of $90,875. The salary range for Civil Engineers on H-1B is broad, from $80,000 to $142,000. Geographic concentration is minimal, with petitions spread across CA, DC, IL, MA, and NC.
| Total Filings | 100 |
| Approval Rate | 98% |
| Average Salary | $94,662 |
| Median Salary | $88,500 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,936 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,106 |
| Minimum Salary | $62,712 |
| Maximum Salary | $185,000 |
| 10th Percentile | $72,000 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,936 |
| Median (50th) | $88,500 |
| 75th Percentile | $103,106 |
| 90th Percentile | $135,000 |
| Average | $94,662 |
| Sample Size | 100 |
| Education Level | Filings |
|---|---|
| Not Specified | 100 |
How do H-1B salaries for Civil Engineers compare to the overall U.S. workforce? Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024 OEWS) compared to H-1B LCA filings.
| Percentile | H-1B Salary | U.S. Domestic (BLS) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $72,000 | $65,920 | +9% |
| 25th | $78,936 | $78,790 | +0% |
| Median | $88,500 | $99,590 | -11% |
| 75th | $103,106 | $128,290 | -20% |
| 90th | $135,000 | $160,990 | -16% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. H-1B data from DOL LCA filings.
| Employer | Filings | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Black & Veatch Corporation | 11 | $82k |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | 9 | $102k |
| ANS Geo | 7 | $90k |
| TranSystems Corporation | 6 | $85k |
| BURKE STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS P.C. | 5 | $87k |
| Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. | 5 | $91k |
| AG&E Associates, PLLC | 5 | $90k |
| HNTB Corporation | 4 | $152k |
| The City of Detroit | 3 | $85k |
| KPFF Inc. | 3 | $85k |
| State | Filings |
|---|---|
| Texas | 18 |
| California | 15 |
| Florida | 8 |
| Michigan | 7 |
| Arizona | 6 |
| Virginia | 6 |
| Washington | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 |
| Illinois | 4 |
| New Jersey | 4 |
Given the extremely low H-1B hiring volume for Civil Engineers, focus on roles with clear demand and consider alternative visa pathways or direct employment opportunities.
The average H-1B salary for Civil Engineers is $97,881, with a median of $90,875. The 25th-75th percentile range is $84,000 to $104,000.
Top H-1B sponsors for Civil Engineers include Howard University, Michael Baker International, Inc., Sciaba Construction Corporation, AECOM Technical Services, Inc., Engineered Tower Solutions, PLLC. A total of 7 employers have filed for this role.
There are 7 H-1B filings on record for Civil Engineers positions. 100.0% were certified.
The top states for H-1B Civil Engineers positions are California (2), District of Columbia (1), Illinois (1), Massachusetts (1), North Carolina (1).
Yes, Civil Engineers is a qualifying occupation for H-1B visa sponsorship. There are 7 approved H-1B petitions for this role in the database.
H-1B Civil Engineers salaries range from $80,000 to $142,000. The median salary is $90,875.
The approval rate for Civil Engineers H-1B petitions is 100.0%. The extremely low number of petitions (7) suggests a highly competitive or niche market for H-1B Civil Engineers.
The average salary is significantly higher than the minimum, indicating potential for higher-paying roles within the field.
Given the extremely low H-1B hiring volume for Civil Engineers, focus on roles with clear demand and consider alternative visa pathways or direct employment opportunities.
The wide salary spread might reflect varying levels of experience, specialization, or employer types.
The Civil Engineers occupation (SOC code 17-2051) is classified under the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system maintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The SOC system groups workers into occupational categories based on the type of work performed, providing a standardized framework for comparing wages, employment levels, and workforce trends across the United States.
Civil Engineers positions fall within the specialty occupation category required for H-1B visa sponsorship, meaning they typically require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in the specific specialty. Based on H-1B filing data, the most common education requirement for Civil Engineers positions is Not Specified (100 filings), followed by other degree levels.
Across 100 LCA filings tracked by H1BSalaryCheck, Civil Engineers positions show an average offered salary of $94,662, with a range from $62,712 at the entry level to $185,000 for senior positions. The largest concentration of H-1B filings for this role is in Texas (18 filings) and California (15 filings). According to BLS data, there are approximately 355,410 workers employed in this occupation across the United States.
Career outlook for Civil Engineers professionals is closely tied to industry demand for specialized skills. Employers sponsoring H-1B workers for this role are demonstrating that they could not find sufficient qualified U.S. workers to fill these positions, which often signals strong demand and competitive compensation. Workers in this occupation may also be eligible for other visa categories including L-1 intracompany transfers, O-1 extraordinary ability visas, or employment-based green card sponsorship through the PERM process.
To sponsor a foreign worker for an H-1B visa in a Civil Engineers role, U.S. employers must satisfy several requirements established by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and enforced by both the Department of Labor (DOL) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS):
The position must qualify as a "specialty occupation," meaning it requires the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialized knowledge and at minimum a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific specialty directly related to the position. For Civil Engineers roles, H-1B filings indicate that employers most commonly require a Not Specified degree. USCIS evaluates whether the position itself, not just the employer's preference, genuinely requires specialized education.
Employers must pay H-1B workers at least the prevailing wage for the occupation in the geographic area of employment, as determined by the DOL. The prevailing wage is based on four skill levels (Level 1 through Level 4) that reflect the complexity of the job duties and required experience. For Civil Engineers positions, the average offered salary of $94,662 exceeds prevailing wages by an average of 11%, with 76% of filings offering above the prevailing wage.
Before filing the H-1B petition, employers must obtain a certified LCA from the DOL. The LCA requires employers to attest to four conditions: (1) paying at least the prevailing wage or actual wage, whichever is higher; (2) providing working conditions that do not adversely affect similarly employed U.S. workers; (3) no strike or lockout at the worksite; and (4) proper notice of the filing to workers. The overall LCA approval rate for Civil Engineers positions is 98%.
The annual H-1B cap is set at 65,000 regular visas plus 20,000 for beneficiaries with U.S. master's degrees or higher (the "master's cap"). Certain employers, including institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research organizations, are exempt from the cap. Civil Engineers positions at cap-exempt employers can be filed at any time during the year, while cap-subject employers must participate in the annual H-1B lottery, typically held in March for the following fiscal year.
H-1B visas are initially granted for up to three years and can be extended for a maximum of six years total. Workers who have an approved I-140 immigrant petition (part of the green card process) may be eligible for extensions beyond the six-year limit under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-First Century Act (AC21). The average contract duration for Civil Engineers H-1B filings is approximately 35 months.
Cities with the most H-1B filings for Civil Engineers positions.
| City | State | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Texas | 6 |
| Detroit | Michigan | 3 |
| Chicago | Illinois | 3 |
| Phoenix | Arizona | 3 |
| Seattle | Washington | 3 |
| San Mateo | California | 3 |
| Austin | Texas | 3 |
| Suffolk | Virginia | 3 |
| Overland Park | Kansas | 3 |
| COSTA MESA | California | 2 |
Other H-1B job categories related to Civil Engineers, grouped by similar SOC classification codes.