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.
Also known as: Airport Engineer, Architectural Engineer, Asphalt Engineer, Base Engineer, Bridge Design Engineer, Bridge Engineer, Building Construction Engineer, Building Engineer, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
- Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.
- Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
- Design energy-efficient or environmentally sound civil structures.
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
- Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
- Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- Conduct studies of traffic patterns or environmental conditions to identify engineering problems and assess potential project impact.
- Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.
- Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites.
- Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.