Civil Engineer vs Psychiatrist Salary
Psychiatrists earn approximately 180.9% more than Civil Engineers nationally — $250,000 vs $89,000.
Civil Engineer vs Psychiatrist: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Psychiatrists out-earn Civil Engineers by $161,000 per year — a 180.9% gap. That works out to roughly $13,417/month or $77/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $161,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$1,610,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$6,440,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $161,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $32,039,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Civil Engineer in California ≈ $105,020 (1.18× national)
- Civil Engineer in Mississippi ≈ $74,760 (0.84× national)
- Psychiatrist in California ≈ $295,000
- Psychiatrist in Mississippi ≈ $210,000
Use our Civil Engineer salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
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Civil Engineer salary by state — Psychiatrist salary by state — Best cities for Civil Engineer — Best cities for Psychiatrist — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.