How much money does a civil engineer make right out of college?

Civil engineers with a bachelor's degree make an average of $52,048 straight out of college. This is based on a widely reported 2009 survey conducted by NACE and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. I haven't seen anything more recent, but my guess is that the numbers may have changed slightly since then. Keep in mind that this is based on self-reporting by employers, and it's an aggregate number, so it doesn't mean that you'll get this kind of salary. I don't believe it includes other benefits like health insurance, so that would be on top. You should also expect that it will be different in each geography, based on the local cost of living.

This is a great question. It's a very good thing that you're trying to figure out the finances of living a comfortable life. Another part of your question that's worth discussing: what does it mean to live a comfortable life, from a financial perspective? It would be a good idea to sketch out what kind of lifestyle you want in order to be satisfied right out of school and then try to estimate the costs of living that lifestyle. It's actually a lot easier to do this than you might expect: the big cost categories are going to be housing, food, entertainment, transportation, education (loans) and children (if applicable). For what it's worth, here are some numbers for me: I live in an urban environment where I spend about $15k per year on housing (I share my apartment, which helps me reduce my costs), $6k per year on food, $3.5k on bills and utilities (like cell phones, internet, etc.) and about $2k a year on transportation (I don't have a car). Health insurance comes through work, so I don't have to spend money on that. I have some college loans left over, so I spend money on those. I buy clothing and things for my house at about $4k per year. Those are the essentials. How much money does that leave me to spend on entertainment, eating out, and going on vacation? After I spend money on those, how much do I get to save for a rainy day? I'm just giving you my numbers to give you a sense of what it's like to calculate this. But don't use my numbers -- figure out your own. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

Great question! Keep it up!