Structural Engineer Salary in Long Beach, CA: 2026
Structural Engineer salary data for Long Beach, CA, adjusted for local cost of living. Entry-level to senior pay ranges, take-home pay calculator, and local job market insights.
The median Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach, CA is $108,640 per year ($9,053/month, $52.23/hr). That is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Civil Engineers (the closest BLS occupation to Structural Engineer) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area, which covers Long Beach. Salario's cost-of-living model (index 148) would have estimated $149,243; the entry, senior and top tiers below are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
Median: BLS OEWS May 2025, Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA. Entry, senior and top earner are Salario estimates rescaled to the BLS median.
Structural Engineer Take-Home Pay in Long Beach
Tax Breakdown (Median Salary)
| Gross Annual | $108,640 |
| Federal Tax | -$15,071 |
| State Tax (5.5% eff.) | -$6,012 |
| FICA (SS + Medicare) | -$8,311 |
| Annual Take-Home | $79,247 |
| Monthly Take-Home | $6,604 |
Living Cost Comparison
Structural Engineer Requirements
Key Skills
Long Beach Job Market Overview
Long Beach, California has a population of 466,742 and an unemployment rate of 4.5%. The top industries are Shipping, Aerospace, Healthcare. The local job growth rate is 1.5%, and the average commute time is 30minutes. These local figures come from Salario's city dataset; verify current values with BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics and Census QuickFacts.
Related Engineering Salaries in Long Beach
Structural Engineer Salary in Nearby California Cities
Salary Percentile Breakdown: Structural Engineer in Long Beach
Based on Salario's cost-of-living-adjusted salary tiers for Structural Engineer in Long Beach, CA, here is an estimated percentile breakdown:
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Hourly Equivalent | Career Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (lowest) | $75,800 | $36/hr | Entry-level, < 1 yr exp. |
| 25th | $92,220 | $44/hr | Junior, 1-3 yrs exp. |
| 50th (median) | $108,640 | $52/hr | Mid-career, 2-5 years |
| 75th | $144,900 | $70/hr | Senior, 5-10 yrs exp. |
| 90th (top) | $183,400 | $88/hr | Lead/Principal, 10+ yrs |
P50 is the measured BLS OEWS May 2025 metro median; P10, P25, P75 and P90 are approximations, not measured local percentiles: they map to Salario's entry, senior and top tiers rescaled to the BLS median, with P25 interpolated halfway between entry and median. Top earners (P90) typically include managers, specialists with rare skills, or those at high-paying employers in Long Beach's Shipping sector.
5-Year Salary Trajectory
Salario's national dataset models approximately 13.0% salary growth for Structural Engineers over the past 5 years. That national assumption is applied to the Long Beach estimate below; it is not a measured local trend, and it should be compared with cumulative CPI inflation before treating it as a real-terms gain:
Year-over-year, an average Structural Engineer can expect a 11.4% annual increase moving from entry to senior level over 6 years in Long Beach. Negotiation, certifications (PE License, SE License), and changing employers strategically can accelerate this trajectory.
Long Beach vs National Average
The national median Structural Engineer salary is $100,840 (BLS OEWS May 2025, Civil Engineers). In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro, the BLS median of $108,640 is 7.7% above the national figure. Long Beach's cost of living index is 148 (higher than the national average of 100), so the wage premium and the cost premium do not necessarily cancel out.
For Structural Engineers, this means: rent typically consumes 31.8% of take-home pay (households spending >30% are considered rent-burdened), and a median home in Long Beach costs about 8.8× annual take-home. Homeownership in Long Beach on this salary is challenging, most experts recommend keeping home costs to 3-4× income.
Industry Context: Shipping in Long Beach
Long Beach's economy is anchored by Shipping, Aerospace, Healthcare, with 466,742 residents and an unemployment rate of 4.5% in Salario's city dataset. Pay for Structural Engineers can differ by sector, so compare Shipping employers with other local employers. The local job growth rate in Salario's city dataset is 1.5%, and Salario's job dataset lists a 6.0% growth outlook for Structural Engineer roles; check the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for the official 2024-2034 projection for the closest matching occupation.
Methodology & Data Sources
How we calculate Structural Engineer salaries in Long Beach, CA:
- Local median is the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan statistical area, retrieved from the BLS Public Data API on September 17, 2026. BLS reports by metro area, so this is a regional figure, not a Long Beach-only wage.
- Cost-of-living adjustment is shown only for comparison ($149,243 modeled) using the Long Beach index of 148 relative to the national baseline of 100, with local rent, home price, unemployment, and tax inputs stored separately in Salario's city dataset.
- Percentile distribution (P10-P90) estimated from the entry, median, senior, and top compensation tiers in the Salario salary model rescaled to the BLS metro median rather than claimed as exact employer payroll data.
- Take-home pay calculated using 2026 federal tax brackets (10%-37%), CA 2026 state income tax brackets after the standard deduction (top rate 13.3%), and FICA (Social Security 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%).
- Tax brackets and standard deduction ($16,100 single filer for tax year 2026) sourced from IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 and updated annually.
Authoritative data sources:
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, national and metro-area salary data
- O*NET OnLine, occupation tasks, alternate job titles, skills, and SOC crosswalks
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, occupation outlook where a matching profile is available
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), regional inflation data (CPI measures price changes, not city-to-city price levels)
- U.S. Census Bureau, Long Beach QuickFacts, population and demographic data
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32 summary, 2026 federal tax brackets and standard deductions
- BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, official local unemployment rates to verify the Long Beach figure above
Last reviewed: 2026. Salario's salary dataset is refreshed periodically, not automatically; check the linked BLS releases for the latest official data. Structural Engineer salaries can vary significantly based on employer, sector (Shipping vs others in Long Beach), specific skill set (SAP2000, ETABS, Seismic Design), and individual negotiation. Always verify current compensation through multiple sources before making career decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach, CA?
How much does a Structural Engineer take home in Long Beach after taxes?
Is Long Beach a good city for Structural Engineers?
What skills are needed for a Structural Engineer in Long Beach?
How does Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach compare to the national average?
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach, CA?
The median Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach, CA is $108,640 per year: the BLS OEWS May 2025 median annual wage for Civil Engineers (SOC 17-2051) in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area. BLS publishes wages by metro area, not by city. The entry-level estimate of around $75,800 and the senior estimate of $144,900 or more are Salario tiers calibrated to that BLS median, not BLS percentiles.
How much does a Structural Engineer take home in Long Beach after taxes?
A Structural Engineer earning the median salary of $108,640 in Long Beach, CA takes home approximately $79,247 per year ($6,604/month) after federal, state, and local taxes. The effective tax rate is 27.1%.
Is Long Beach a good city for Structural Engineers?
Long Beach, CA has a cost of living index of 148 (above national average). Structural Engineers here earn above the city median. The local unemployment rate is 4.5% and top industries include Shipping, Aerospace, Healthcare.
What skills are needed for a Structural Engineer in Long Beach?
Key skills for Structural Engineers include SAP2000, ETABS, Seismic Design, Steel Design, Concrete Design. Typical education requirement is Bachelor's Degree. Valuable certifications include PE License, SE License, FE Exam.
How does Structural Engineer salary in Long Beach compare to the national average?
The national median for Civil Engineers is $100,840 (BLS OEWS May 2025). In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro, the BLS median is $108,640, which is 7.7% higher than the national figure. For comparison, Salario's cost-of-living model (index 148) would have estimated $149,243.