Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
How much does a Civil Engineers actually take home in Virginia?
Progressive (up to 5.8%) — 26.7% effective total tax rateData: BLS OEWS 2025 + IRS/State Tax Brackets 2024 • Updated 2026-05-19
Detailed line-by-line tax calculation for a Civil Engineers earning $97,120 in Virginia (single filer, standard deduction).
| Tax Component | Annual Amount | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Gross Salary (Median) | $97,120 | — |
| Federal Income Tax | -$13,207 | 13.6% |
| Virginia State Income Tax | -$5,326 | 5.5% |
| Social Security (OASDI) | -$6,021 | 6.2% |
| Medicare | -$1,408 | 1.5% |
| Total Taxes | -$25,963 | 26.7% |
| Take-Home Pay | $71,156 | 73.3% |
Take-home pay varies significantly across experience levels. Here is the after-tax breakdown for each salary percentile of Civil Engineers in Virginia.
| Percentile | Gross Salary | Total Taxes | Take-Home Pay | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $74,000 | -$17,779 | $56,220 | 24.0% |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $79,150 | -$19,602 | $59,547 | 24.8% |
| Median (P50) | $97,120 | -$25,963 | $71,156 | 26.7% |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $126,780 | -$36,696 | $90,083 | 28.9% |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $150,710 | -$45,646 | $105,063 | 30.3% |
After federal income tax ($13,207), state tax ($5,326), and FICA ($7,429), a Civil Engineers in Virginia takes home $71,156 per year — or $5,929 per month. The effective tax rate of 26.7% is moderate compared to the national range.
A Civil Engineers in Virginia loses 26.7% of gross pay to taxes — higher than the ~25% national midpoint. Of the $97,120 gross, $71,156 lands in the paycheck after federal ($13,207), state ($5,327), and FICA ($7,430) withholding.
Virginia uses a progressive state income tax, so brackets escalate as wages rise. For this Civil Engineers salary the state tax works out to $5,327 (5.5% effective) — on top of federal and FICA.
Federal tax on this Civil Engineers salary is $13,207 (51%), but combined state ($5,327, 21%) + FICA ($7,430, 29%) make up the other 49% of the bill.
Moving this same Civil Engineers salary to a zero-state-tax state would yield around $76,483 net — a gain of $5,327 (7.5%) per year versus Virginia.
Virginia sits near the bottom (#40 of 51) for Civil Engineers after-tax earnings. Relocation, negotiation, or credential stacking typically show the clearest ROI in bottom-quartile states.
Translated into paycheck cadences, $71,156 net/year works out to $5,930/month or $2,737/bi-weekly for this Civil Engineers in Virginia — the numbers that actually hit a checking account after every deduction.
Where does a Civil Engineers keep the most of their paycheck? Top 10 states ranked by after-tax take-home pay.
Virginia ranks #40 out of 51 states for Civil Engineers after-tax take-home pay.
A Civil Engineers in Virginia earning a median salary of $97,120 will take home approximately $71,156 per year after federal income tax ($13,207), state income tax ($5,326), and FICA ($7,429). That is $5,929 per month or $2,736 per bi-weekly paycheck.
The effective total tax rate for a Civil Engineers in Virginia is 26.7%, broken down as: federal income tax 13.6%, Virginia state tax 5.5%, and FICA (Social Security + Medicare) 7.6%. This assumes a single filer with the standard deduction for 2024.
Virginia has a progressive (up to 5.8%). On a Civil Engineers's median salary of $97,120, the state income tax amounts to $5,326 per year, which is an effective state rate of 5.5%.
After all taxes, a Civil Engineers in Virginia takes home approximately $5,929 per month, or about $34.21 per hour (based on a standard 2,080-hour work year). These figures assume a single filer, standard deduction, and no additional pre-tax deductions.
We start with the 2025 BLS median salary of $97,120 for Civil Engineers in Virginia, then subtract: federal income tax using 2024 IRS brackets ($14,600 standard deduction), Virginia state income tax (progressive (up to 5.8%)), Social Security (6.2% up to $168,600), and Medicare (1.45%). The result — $71,156/yr — does not include local taxes, pre-tax deductions (401k, HSA), or tax credits.
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This estimate assumes a single filer using the 2024 standard deduction ($14,600), with W-2 employment income only. It does not account for: itemized deductions, tax credits (e.g. earned income credit, child tax credit), local/city taxes, pre-tax contributions (401k, HSA, FSA), self-employment tax, or additional income sources. Actual take-home pay may differ. Consult a tax professional for personalized advice.
Our Methodology · Data Sources · Salary: BLS OEWS · Tax: IRS + State DOR