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Civil Engineers

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $100,840 Median per year · $48.48/hr Most earn $68,240–$163,220

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
  • Conduct studies of traffic patterns or environmental conditions to identify engineering problems and assess potential project impact.
  • Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
  • Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.
  • Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.
  • Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
6% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 22,700 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Engineering services50.8%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals10.7%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals10.0%
  • Nonresidential building construction7.3%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service2.9%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

On-siteExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Civil engineering usually requires a bachelor's degree, and most people then spend about 2 to 4 years in related entry-level engineering work before taking on the full Civil Engineer role. So this isn't a job you can usually start straight out of high school or college.

  1. High school math and science, then a bachelor's degree in civil engineering

    About 4 years of college

    Strong math and physics in high school prepare you for an ABET-accredited civil engineering degree, which teaches structures, materials, water systems, and design.

  2. Engineer-in-Training / Junior Civil Engineer

    2-4 years

    After graduating, you work under licensed engineers on real projects, and many people study for the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam during this time, which is the first step toward a professional license.

  3. Civil Engineer

    Career

    With experience and, often, a Professional Engineer (PE) license, you take on design, planning, and oversight of roads, bridges, buildings, and water systems.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Civil Engineer

    3-5 years as a Civil Engineer of experience first

    You lead larger projects, mentor junior engineers, and take responsibility for design decisions and client relationships.

  2. Construction Manager

    4-6 years in related work of experience first

    You shift from designing projects to running them, managing schedules, budgets, crews, and contractors on the job site.

  3. Architectural and Engineering Manager

    8-10 years in related work of experience first

    You oversee teams of engineers and set technical direction for a department or company, usually with a master's degree or extra management training.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take advanced math and physicsCalculus and physics build the problem-solving skills you'll use every day in civil engineering classes.
  • Take a drafting, CAD, or design classLearning to read plans and use design software gives you an early look at how engineers show their ideas.
  • Join a robotics, bridge-building, or science clubBuilding and testing structures in a team teaches design thinking and how to work with others on a project.
  • Look for a summer job or volunteer work on a construction or landscaping crewSeeing how things get built and maintained helps you decide if this field fits you.

In college

  • Major in civil engineering at an ABET-accredited schoolThis is the standard degree path, and accreditation supports your later PE license.
  • Apply for a summer engineering internship or co-opPaid field and office experience is the strongest way to build the 2 to 4 years of related work employers expect.
  • Join the student chapter of ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) or a similar groupChapter events, design competitions, and networking help you learn the field and meet working engineers.
  • Work a campus job in the engineering department or facilities officeLab assistant or facilities roles give you practical experience and references.
  • Learn CAD and spreadsheet or modeling software on your ownSoftware skills are often expected in entry-level civil engineering jobs and can set you apart in interviews.

Tips for getting started

  • Get an internship or co-op with a city, county, state transportation department, or engineering firm. Hands-on experience helps you land your first job and counts toward the 2 to 4 years of experience employers look for.
  • Choose a school with an ABET-accredited civil engineering program. Accreditation matters for getting your PE license later.
  • Start learning the FE exam topics early and plan to take it right after graduating, while the material is still fresh.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Civil Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $72,633 a year · typical debt $21,594
  • Construction Engineering Bachelor's degree: typical pay 1 year after finishing $79,049 a year · typical debt $20,875

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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