Engineering and architecture
Civil engineer
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Median pay
$100,840
Growth to 2035
+6%
faster than average
Openings a year
22,700
Time to qualify*
Minimal
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Civil engineer
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Civil engineer: 57% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
- Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
- Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
Also called: City Engineer · Civil Engineer · County Engineer · Design Engineer · Engineer · Geotechnical Engineer · Licensed Engineer · Project Engineer
Outlook and AI
Civil engineers held 380,600 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 405,100 by 2035 (+6%, faster than average; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
- Civil engineer vs. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Civil engineer vs. Construction manager
- Civil engineer vs. Construction and building inspectors
- Civil engineer vs. Environmental engineer
- Civil engineer vs. Architectural and civil drafters
- Civil engineer vs. Architectural and engineering managers
- Civil engineer vs. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Civil engineer vs. Mining and geological engineers, including mining safety engineers