Civil Engineer
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
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 called: City Engineer · Civil Engineer · County Engineer · Design Engineer · Engineer · Geotechnical Engineer · Licensed Engineer · Project Engineer
O*NET-SOC 17-2051.00 (Civil Engineers)
Civil Engineer salary
Wages for civil engineers across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $48.48.
Civil Engineer pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $77,980 | $122,500 | $175,940 |
| Texas | $63,240 | $96,860 | $164,330 |
| Florida | $58,640 | $98,570 | $166,680 |
| New York | $77,290 | $103,760 | $169,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $67,930 | $97,850 | $141,310 |
| Illinois | $69,590 | $99,760 | $157,410 |
| Ohio | $65,170 | $96,220 | $144,620 |
| Georgia | $62,850 | $84,240 | $153,690 |
| North Carolina | $70,760 | $100,730 | $160,520 |
| Michigan | $63,920 | $92,100 | $130,400 |
Civil Engineer job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 380,600 jobs in 2025 to 405,100 in 2035 (6% change).
- About 22,700 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Bright (Rapid Growth).
How to become a civil engineer
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- No on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma.8%
- High school diploma or equivalent3.3%
- Some college, no degree4.1%
- Associate's degree3.5%
- Bachelor's degree58.1%
- Master's degree26.2%
- Doctoral or professional degree4%
Related training programs
- Civil Engineering, General
- Civil Engineering, Other
- Construction Engineering
- Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
- Structural Engineering
- Transportation and Highway Engineering
- Water Resources Engineering
What does a civil engineer do?
Common tasks
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
- 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.
- Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.
Most important skills
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Mathematics
- Using math to solve problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
- Systems Analysis
- Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
- Time Management
- Managing your time and the time of other people.
Civil Engineer certifications
8 of 10 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- Association of Energy Engineers · Advanced
- Academy of Geo-Professionals · Advanced
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · Advanced
- Robotics Education and Competition Foundation · Skill
- Academy of Coastal, Ocean, Port & Navigation Engineers · Advanced
- Autodesk Certified User (ACU)Autodesk, Inc. · Product/Equipment
- Certified HVAC Designer (CHD)American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers · Advanced
- Fundamentals of Engineering - Civil (FE-CVL)National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying · Core
See all 10certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Civil Engineer jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more engineering jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Engineering jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
Related careers
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Transportation Engineers
- Construction Managers
- Water/Wastewater Engineers
- Construction and Building Inspectors
- Environmental Engineer
- Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Architectural and Engineering Managers
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval
- Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers
More engineering careers
This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Civil Engineers. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.