Civil engineer Salary in Denmark 2026: What Do Civil engineers Earn?
Civil engineers design the buildings, bridges and infrastructure of Denmark - and the big consultancies (COWI, Rambool, NIRAS) regularly recruit internationally with English as working language. Figures are official standardised earnings.
What does a civil engineer earn in Denmark in 2026?
The official number (incl. pension and supplements, full-time equivalent): The standardised monthly earnings average 65,805 DKK/month (DISCO 2142, 14,524 full-time employees, all sectors, 2024 — pulled directly from Statistics Denmark). Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract.
The real salary spread — quartiles straight from Statistics Denmark
Averages get pulled up by top earners. The quartiles show where pay actually sits for civil engineers (standardised hourly earnings, all sectors, 2024):
| Quartile | Hourly earnings (DST) | Monthly equivalent* |
|---|---|---|
| Lower quartile (25% earn less) | 321.85 DKK | approx. 51,602 DKK |
| Median (the middle salary) | 390.92 DKK | approx. 62,676 DKK |
| Upper quartile (25% earn more) | 476.00 DKK | approx. 76,317 DKK |
Half of all civil engineers earn between approx. 51,602 and 76,317 DKK/month. Hourly figures are DST's raw numbers — *monthly figures are OUR calculation (hourly earnings × 160.33, DST's standard month). Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract. Last fact-checked 16 July 2026.
What makes up the salary?
The standardised hourly earnings in this trade (410.43 DKK/hour, 2024) break down like this:
| Component | DKK per hour (DST) | Share* |
|---|---|---|
| Base pay | 344.52 DKK | 83.9% |
| Pension incl. ATP | 49.13 DKK | 12.0% |
| Shift/inconvenience supplements | 0.62 DKK | 0.2% |
| Irregular payments (bonus etc.) | 11.57 DKK | 2.8% |
| Employee benefits | 4.59 DKK | 1.1% |
Hourly figures are DST's raw component numbers — *shares are OUR calculation. Source: Statistics Denmark, LONS20 — direct table extract. Last fact-checked 16 July 2026.
What moves the pay in this trade?
Consultancy pay follows experience and project responsibility, and switching to the client or contractor side is often a pay jump. Specialisations in geotechnics, fire safety and sustainability certification are in demand - and project management is the natural route toward the 80,000-DKK bracket.
How to read the numbers
The figures are standardised monthly earnings: everything the employer pays (base pay, pension, supplements, holiday pay) converted to full time. That is usually higher than the base salary on a payslip — but it is the honest number for comparing trades. Part-timers are converted to full-time equivalents. All figures are before tax.
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Average salary in Denmark · Trades careers in Denmark · Working in Denmark guide