California / Transportation / Senior Engineering Geologist

Job-title file

Senior Engineering Geologist

Design, analyze, and oversee technical systems or infrastructure, ensuring they meet specifications and codes.

22 employees hold this title in Transportation. Median total compensation for the role is $171,983, above the department median of $94,114.

Employees: 22
Total payroll: $3.6M
Role median: $171,983
Agency median: $94,114
Comparison: Above

What the records show

Role pay distribution

Pay distribution for this role

$51,788$209,695+

Hover a bar for its range; click to filter the list below.

How total compensation varies among the 22 people in this role. Even for one job title, pay differs with seniority, step, overtime, and tenure. Each bar is a pay range; the far-right bar collects the highest earners.

Compared with the local labor market

Senior Engineering Geologist pay vs. California

Across all employers in California, the median wage for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers — about 3,350 people — is $106,500. Transportation pays a median base salary of $167,143 for this role, 57% above that figure — about the 88th percentile of local pay for the occupation.

Where Transportation sits in the local pay range

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$45,540

$73,850

$106,500

$138,120

$171,270

Transportation median · $167,143

The bar is the range of annual wages for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers across every employer in California, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows Transportation’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.

And across the country

Nationwide, the median wage for Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers — about 23,470 people — is $101,920. Transportation’s median base salary is 64% above that national figure, about the 82nd percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.

10th

25th

Median

75th

90th

$59,330

$75,110

$101,920

$139,380

$200,230

Transportation median · $167,143

Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the California range relative to the national one.

Median total compensation for this role at Transportation is $171,983, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.

Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.

Compare departments

This role across California

Senior Engineering Geologist is held in 10 California departments. In Transportation, the median of $171,983 ranks #2 of 10.

Highest-paying departments for this role

Parks and Recreation

$191,744 · 1

Toxic Substances Control

$161,317 · 52

Conservation

$161,195 · 34

Water Resources Control Board

$160,515 · 102

Water Resources

$158,358 · 65

Department Resources Recycle/Recvry

$153,951 · 1

Fish and Wildlife

$150,389 · 8

Office of Emergency Services

$135,731 · 1

State Energy Res Cons&Dev Com

$17,248 · 1

Median total compensation for the Senior Engineering Geologist role in other Californiadepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.

Record list

Employees with this title

Page 1

William Owen

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$230,321

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $176,001
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $54,320
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $230,321
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593163751002
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $230,321

William Owen works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. William earned $230,321 in 2025. They are represented by S09.

Christopher Harris

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2024 total comp

$181,210

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $159,937
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $21,273
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $181,210
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Los Angeles

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,898
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593243751020
Salary Total: $14,662
Total Pay: $181,210

At Transportation, Christopher Harris serves as a Senior Engineering Geologist within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. Their 2024 pay totaled $181,210. Union affiliation: S09.

Chris Risden

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$179,176

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $176,001
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $179,176
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593153751001
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $179,176

Chris Risden works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. Chris earned $179,176 in 2025. They are represented by S09.

Jacqueline Martin

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$177,907

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $176,001
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $1,906
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $177,907
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593233751001
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $177,907

Jacqueline Martin holds the role of Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $177,907. Their bargaining unit is R09.

Anna Sojourner

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$177,199

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $173,849
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $177,199
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593223751007
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $177,199

Anna Sojourner is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $177,199. Their bargaining unit is R09.

William Webster

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$176,391

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $176,001
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $390
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $176,391
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: P

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593233751020
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $176,391

William Webster is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $176,391. Union affiliation: R09.

Joseph Kaump

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$176,351

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $176,001
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $176,351
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593223751002
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $176,351

At Transportation, Joseph Kaump serves as a Senior Engineering Geologist within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $176,351. Their bargaining unit is S09.

John Lewis

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$174,741

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $174,566
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $174,741
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Shasta
Middle name: S

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593233751005
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $174,741

John Lewis holds the role of Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $174,741. They are represented by R09.

Charles Narwold

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$172,839

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $172,153
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $686
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $172,839
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: San Luis Obispo
Middle name: F

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593153751005
Salary Total: $14,673
Total Pay: $172,839

Charles Narwold is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $172,839. Their bargaining unit is S09.

Ronald Karpowicz

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$172,703

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $167,573
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $5,130
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $172,703
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593153751004
Salary Total: $14,172
Total Pay: $172,703

Ronald Karpowicz is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $172,703. They are represented by R09.

Matthew Gaffney

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$172,671

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $168,701
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,970
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $172,671
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: J

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593243751001
Salary Total: $14,172
Total Pay: $172,671

At Transportation, Matthew Gaffney serves as a Senior Engineering Geologist within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $172,671. They are represented by R09.

Christopher Dennis

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$171,296

Sub-department: District 3
Base pay: $170,946
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $171,296
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Yuba
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9038013751001
Salary Total: $14,315
Total Pay: $171,296

Christopher Dennis works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within District 3. Their status is full-time. Christopher earned $171,296 in 2025. Union affiliation: S09.

Grant Wilcox

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2023 total comp

$169,441

Sub-department: District 1
Base pay: $165,897
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,544
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $169,441
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: M

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,625
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9012003751001
Salary Total: $14,374
Total Pay: $169,441

Grant Wilcox is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within District 1. They work full-time. 2023 total compensation came to $169,441. Union affiliation: R09.

Matthew Farris

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$166,889

Sub-department: Headquarters Operations
Base pay: $166,714
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $166,889
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: C

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9131403751050
Salary Total: $13,886
Total Pay: $166,889

Matthew Farris holds the role of Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Headquarters Operations. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $166,889. Their bargaining unit is R09.

Christian Figueroa

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$166,214

Sub-department: District 1
Base pay: $165,864
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $166,214
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Humboldt
Middle name: X

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9278013751001
Salary Total: $13,886
Total Pay: $166,214

Christian Figueroa holds the role of Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within District 1. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $166,214. Union affiliation: S09.

Henry Jones

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$162,569

Sub-department: District 7
Base pay: $162,219
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $162,569
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Los Angeles
Middle name: L

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9071703751001
Salary Total: $13,886
Total Pay: $162,569

Henry Jones is a Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within District 7. They work full-time. 2025 total compensation came to $162,569. Union affiliation: S09.

Xing Zheng

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$158,523

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $158,348
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $175
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $158,523
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Sacramento

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,467
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593233751021
Salary Total: $13,804
Total Pay: $158,523

Xing Zheng holds the role of Senior Engineering Geologist at Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. In 2025, their total compensation was $158,523. They are represented by S09.

Amanda Kahn

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$157,401

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $156,761
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $640
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $157,401
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: B

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,902
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593253751001
Salary Total: $13,485
Total Pay: $157,401

At Transportation, Amanda Kahn serves as a Senior Engineering Geologist within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $157,401. They are represented by R09.

Nicholas Bel

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$147,986

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $144,416
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $3,570
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $147,986
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: S09
Work county: Alameda
Middle name: E

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $13,073
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593153751020
Salary Total: $12,681
Total Pay: $147,986

At Transportation, Nicholas Bel serves as a Senior Engineering Geologist within Transportation/Administration. They work full-time. Their 2025 pay totaled $147,986. Their bargaining unit is S09.

James Allen

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$140,404

Sub-department: Headquarters Operations
Base pay: $139,804
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $600
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $140,404
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: R

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $12,449
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 9131403751005
Salary Total: $12,076
Total Pay: $140,404

James Allen works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within Headquarters Operations. Their status is full-time. James earned $140,404 in 2025. Union affiliation: R09.

Demian Nelson

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$136,811

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $132,048
Overtime: $4,413
Other pay: $350
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $136,811
Employment type: Full-Time
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: San Diego
Middle name: A

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $12,826
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593243751003
Salary Total: $11,257
Total Pay: $136,811

Demian Nelson works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is full-time. Demian earned $136,811 in 2025. They are represented by R09.

John Bowman

Senior Engineering Geologist/Transportation

2025 total comp

$51,788

Sub-department: Transportation/Administration
Base pay: $51,788
Overtime: $0
Other pay: $0
Benefits: $0
Total compensation: $51,788
Employment type: Intermittent
Union / bargaining unit: R09
Work county: Sacramento
Middle name: K

Source-specific fields

Base Pay: $14,315
Cs/csu: Cs
Position Number: 5593253751911
Salary Total: $83
Total Pay: $51,788

John Bowman works as a Senior Engineering Geologist for Transportation within Transportation/Administration. Their status is intermittent. John earned $51,788 in 2025. They are represented by R09.