SOC 17-2051.00Bright outlook

    Civil Engineers

    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
    +6.4%
    Faster than average
    Openings a year
    22,700
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $68,240
    Median
    $100,840
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $163,220
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    367,840 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Civil engineers plan, design, and oversee the construction and maintenance of vital infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water systems. The career offers a median annual pay of $100,840.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What civil engineers do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    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.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    People in this career spend their days planning and supervising the creation of public and private structures, including airports, dams, and pipelines. Their daily activities involve gathering information, solving complex problems, and drafting technical specifications for equipment and layouts. They must evaluate data to ensure all designs comply with safety standards, inspect physical materials and structures, and coordinate the activities of construction teams.

    Success in this field requires a strong realistic interest, meaning a preference for hands-on, practical work. Engineers rely on skills like critical thinking, mathematics, science, and active listening to address design challenges. They must also have deep knowledge of engineering technology, physics, building construction, and public safety. Key work styles for this role include dependability, attention to detail, cautiousness, and leadership orientation, as these professionals frequently communicate with supervisors, team members, and external stakeholders to keep projects on track.

    How to get there

    To enter this profession, individuals typically need to earn a bachelor's degree. Relevant college majors that prepare students for this field include civil engineering and construction engineering. Because this occupation requires considerable preparation, most newcomers also need several years of practical, hands-on experience in a related engineering role before they can work fully independently.

    Graduates can pursue professional credentials to demonstrate their expertise. One notable certification is the Fundamentals of Engineering - Civil, which is administered by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying. Additionally, some states list a license for this work, so candidates should check local guidelines to see if licensing is required in their specific area.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for civil engineers was $100,840. Earnings can vary significantly based on experience and location, with the lowest 10% of workers earning less than $68,240 and the highest 10% earning more than $163,220.

    There are 367,840 people employed in this field. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to grow by 6.4%, which is faster than the average for all occupations. This growth, combined with normal staff turnover, is expected to generate 22,700 job openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    90 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    69 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    20 / 100
    Social (S)
    12 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    28 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    60 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RIC. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    89
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    86
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    82
    Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
    79
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    79
    Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    79
    Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others
    78
    Working with Computers
    78
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    76
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    76
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Critical Thinking
    • Mathematics
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Speaking
    • Science
    • Systems Analysis
    • Time Management
    • Operations Analysis

    Knowledge

    • Design
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Building and Construction
    • Mathematics
    • English Language
    • Physics
    • Administration and Management
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Law and Government
    • Public Safety and Security

    Abilities

    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Written Comprehension
    • Written Expression
    • Information Ordering
    • Mathematical Reasoning
    • Category Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Integrity
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Leadership Orientation
    • Innovation
    • Adaptability
    • Perseverance

    Also called

    Airport Engineer · Architectural Engineer · Asphalt Engineer · Base Engineer · Bridge Design Engineer · Bridge Engineer · Building Construction Engineer · Building Engineer · Cadastral Engineer · Cartographic Engineer

    Career pathway

    From your interests to civil engineers

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Civil Engineers$100,840 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Arizona State University Campus Immersion logo
      Arizona State University Campus Immersion

      Tempe, AZ · Construction Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $116,219
      Median debt
      Not reported
    2. 2University of California-Berkeley CAL logo
      University of California-Berkeley CAL

      Berkeley, CA · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $84,461
      4 yrs after
      $108,548
      Median debt
      $11,634
    3. 3
      Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

      New York, NY · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $108,466
      Median debt
      Not reported
    4. 4Columbia University in the City of New York logo
      Columbia University in the City of New York

      New York, NY · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $108,246
      Median debt
      Not reported
    5. 5University of Southern California USC logo
      University of Southern California USC

      Los Angeles, CA · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $81,387
      4 yrs after
      $106,308
      Median debt
      $18,817
    6. 6Oregon State University logo
      Oregon State University

      Corvallis, OR · Construction Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $81,808
      4 yrs after
      $105,964
      Median debt
      $20,875
    7. 7Santa Clara University logo
      Santa Clara University

      Santa Clara, CA · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $105,594
      Median debt
      $21,500
    8. 8Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Civil Engineering · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $79,750
      4 yrs after
      $105,199
      Median debt
      $21,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What civil engineers may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Civil Engineering, General
    • Civil Engineering, Other
    • Construction Engineering
    • Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
    • Structural Engineering
    • Transportation and Highway Engineering
    • Water Resources Engineering

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    53 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about civil engineers

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for civil engineers?

    Professionals in this field are also known by titles such as bridge design engineer, building construction engineer, airport engineer, and cadastral engineer.

    What are some careers that are similar to civil engineering?

    Related career paths include transportation engineers, construction managers, water/wastewater engineers, environmental engineers, and construction and building inspectors.

    What knowledge areas are most important for this job?

    Civil engineers must be highly knowledgeable in design, physics, mathematics, building and construction, and public safety and security.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.