Civil Engineer Average Salary in Colombo 2024
How much money does a person working as Civil Engineer make in Colombo?
LOW
44,300
LKR AVERAGE
96,300
LKR HIGH
153,000
LKR
A person working as Civil Engineer in Colombo typically earns around 96,300 LKR. Salaries range from 44,300 LKR (lowest) to 153,000 LKR (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Civil Engineer salaries in Colombo vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Civil Engineer Pay Scale and Salaries in Colombo
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
91,400 LKR or more
80,100 to 91,400 LKR
55,100 LKR or less
55,100 to 80,100 LKR
 44,300 LKR |
92,100 LKR |
153,000 LKR |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Civil Engineer in Colombo range from 44,300 LKR (starting salary) to 153,000 LKR (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 92,100 LKR, half of the professionals who work as Civil Engineer in Colombo earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Civil Engineer in Colombo earn less than 74,200 LKR, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 106,000 LKR while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Civil Engineer in Colombo compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 55,100 LKR to 80,100 LKR. About 20% of salaries are below the 55,100 LKR mark, while 10% fall within the range of 80,100 LKR to 91,400 LKR. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 91,400 LKR.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Civil Engineer / Colombo
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 50,300 LKR | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 67,200 LKR |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 99,300 LKR |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 121,000 LKR |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 132,000 LKR |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 143,000 LKR |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Civil Engineer and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 50,300 LKR.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 67,200 LKR, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 99,300 LKR, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 121,000 LKR, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 132,000 LKR, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 143,000 LKR, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Civil Engineer / Colombo
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Civil Engineer.
| Bachelor's Degree | 58,500 LKR | |
| Master's Degree | +93% | 113,000 LKR |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Civil Engineer in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: Bachelor's Degree
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 58,500 LKR.
Level 2: Master's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 113,000 LKR, 93% more than the previous level.
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Sri Lanka costs anywhere from 450,000 LKR to 1,350,000 LKR and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch to a higher-paying job. The numbers seem to support the theory. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Civil Engineer / Colombo
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Civil Engineer in Sri Lanka, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 10%.
| Male | 93,500 LKR | |
| Female | -9% | 84,900 LKR |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Sri Lanka for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Civil Engineer / Colombo
How much are annual salary increments in Colombo for individuals working as Civil Engineer? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Civil Engineer in Sri Lanka are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately % every months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 17 months.
Sri Lanka / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Civil Engineer / Sri Lanka
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
Share This Chart Tweet Get Chart Linkhttp://www.salaryexplorer.com/charts/sri-lanka/construction-building-installation/civil-engineer/annual-salary-bonus-rate-sri-lanka-civil-engineer.jpg
100% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while % said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from % to % of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | % | |
| No Bonus | 100% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Civil Engineer / Colombo
560 LKR per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Civil Engineer in Colombo is 560 LKR.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Civil Engineer in Colombo is 260 LKR. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Construction / Building / Installation |  -100% | |
| 3D Printing Construction Technician | 67,700 LKR | -30% |
| Adjudicator | 39,700 LKR | -59% |
| Assembler | 34,100 LKR | -65% |
| Boat Builder and Shipwright | 49,700 LKR | -48% |
| Bricklayer | 27,700 LKR | -71% |
| Building Administrator | 44,900 LKR | -53% |
| Building Automation Engineer | 93,500 LKR | -3% |
| Building Contracts Manager | 147,000 LKR |  +53% |
| Building Information Modeling Manager | 133,000 LKR | +38% |
| Building Inspector | 40,600 LKR | -58% |
| Building Monitor | 31,600 LKR | -67% |
| Building Sales Manager | 144,000 LKR | +49% |
| Building Systems Integration Specialist | 92,100 LKR | -4% |
| Cabinetmaker | 33,100 LKR | -66% |
| Carpenter | 39,700 LKR | -59% |
| Civil Engineer | 96,300 LKR | -0% |
| Civil Technician | 50,000 LKR | -48% |
| Concreter | 29,600 LKR | -69% |
| Construction and Building Inspector | 42,600 LKR | -56% |
| Construction and Maintenance Manager | 73,900 LKR | -23% |
| Construction Assistant | 37,100 LKR | -61% |
| Construction Coordinator | 57,700 LKR | -40% |
| Construction Data Analyst | 87,900 LKR | -9% |
| Construction Estimator | 62,600 LKR | -35% |
| Construction Field Engineer | 81,000 LKR | -16% |
| Construction General Manager | 182,000 LKR | +89% |
| Construction Inventory Officer | 32,800 LKR | -66% |
| Construction Manager | 176,000 LKR | +83% |
| Construction Operations Manager | 163,000 LKR | +69% |
| Construction Project Controls Manager | 123,000 LKR | +28% |
| Construction Project Coordinator | 104,000 LKR | +8% |
| Construction Project Engineer | 99,500 LKR | +3% |
| Construction Project Manager | 164,000 LKR | +70% |
| Construction Project Planner | 94,100 LKR | -2% |
| Construction Quality Control Manager | 131,000 LKR | +36% |
| Construction Robotics Engineer | 101,000 LKR | +5% |
| Construction Safety Officer | 59,600 LKR | -38% |
| Construction Superintendent | 62,500 LKR | -35% |
| Construction Supervisor | 96,800 LKR | +0% |
| Construction Technical Assistant | 36,300 LKR | -62% |
| Construction Technical Officer | 41,300 LKR | -57% |
| Construction Technical Writer | 40,000 LKR | -58% |
| Construction Technician | 33,600 LKR | -65% |
| Construction Waste Management Consultant | 93,200 LKR | -3% |
| Construction Worker | 30,100 LKR | -69% |
| Crane and Tower Operator | 33,100 LKR | -66% |
| Crane Operator | 34,100 LKR | -65% |
| Diesel Mechanic | 30,800 LKR | -68% |
| Digital Construction Manager | 104,000 LKR | +8% |
| Draughtsman | 28,400 LKR | -71% |
| Drywall Installer | 35,600 LKR | -63% |
| Electrical Draftsman | 34,000 LKR | -65% |
| Electrical Engineering Supervisor | 110,000 LKR | +14% |
| Electrical Engineering Technician | 40,200 LKR | -58% |
| Electrical Supervisor | 71,700 LKR | -26% |
| Electrician | 50,200 LKR | -48% |
| Elevator Installer and Repairer | 40,300 LKR | -58% |
| Engineer | 95,000 LKR | -1% |
| Excavator Operator | 32,500 LKR | -66% |
| Field Inspector | 57,200 LKR | -41% |
| Floor Finisher | 38,200 LKR | -60% |
| Floor Manager | 56,500 LKR | -41% |
| Foreman | 28,000 LKR | -71% |
| Frame and Truss Detailer | 30,300 LKR | -69% |
| Furniture Finisher | 31,900 LKR | -67% |
| Gas Technician | 31,400 LKR | -67% |
| Handyman | 28,900 LKR | -70% |
| Health and Safety Coordinator | 40,900 LKR | -58% |
| Health and Safety Officer | 47,600 LKR | -51% |
| Installation Manager | 108,000 LKR | +12% |
| Installer | 28,300 LKR | -71% |
| Insulation Installer | 34,600 LKR | -64% |
| Labourer | 25,100 LKR | -74% |
| Land Surveyor | 44,900 LKR | -53% |
| Lean Construction Specialist | 87,900 LKR | -9% |
| Lift Technician | 33,000 LKR | -66% |
| Maintenance Foreman | 28,800 LKR | -70% |
| Material Tester | 51,700 LKR | -46% |
| Model Maker | 49,700 LKR | -48% |
| Order Picker | 30,000 LKR | -69% |
| Painter | 32,100 LKR | -67% |
| Pipe Layer | 26,800 LKR | -72% |
| Pipe Welder | 26,600 LKR | -72% |
| Pipefitter | 26,200 LKR | -73% |
| Plumber | 37,200 LKR | -61% |
| Prefabrication and Modular Construction Specialist | 88,600 LKR | -8% |
| Property Coordinator | 84,500 LKR | -12% |
| Purchasing Manager | 113,000 LKR | +17% |
| Quantity Estimator | 62,200 LKR | -35% |
| Quantity Surveyor | 59,000 LKR | -39% |
| Roof Slater and Tiler | 30,300 LKR | -69% |
| Sheet Metal Mechanic | 32,700 LKR | -66% |
| Sheet Metal Worker | 28,400 LKR | -71% |
| Site Clerk | 32,300 LKR | -66% |
| Site engineer | 83,700 LKR | -13% |
| Site Leader | 150,000 LKR | +56% |
| Stock Controller | 49,700 LKR | -48% |
| Structural Steel Construction Worker | 34,200 LKR | -65% |
| Sustainable Materials Engineer | 94,600 LKR | -2% |
| Technical Draughtsman | 38,300 LKR | -60% |
| Tender Manager | 135,000 LKR | +40% |
| Tendering Manager | 137,000 LKR | +42% |
| Tower Crane Operator | 31,200 LKR | -68% |
| Wall and Floor Tiler | 32,100 LKR | -67% |
| Warehouse Manager | 110,000 LKR | +14% |
| Welder | 27,600 LKR | -71% |
| Welding Superintendent | 38,300 LKR | -60% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Colombo | 96,300 LKR |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Sri Lanka is 8% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 86,300 LKR | |
| Public Sector | +8% | 92,900 LKR |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Civil Engineer in Colombo?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 92,100 LKR and 106,000 LKR. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Civil Engineer in Colombo ranges from 44,300 LKR to 74,200 LKR. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
