Civil Engineers
SOC code 17-2051 · O*NET-SOC 17-2051.00 · Considerable preparation needed · Science and engineering
Bright Outlook — O*NET expects rapid growth for this occupation
Civil engineering is licensure-driven more than most branches: the PE licence is often essential for signing off on public infrastructure. A bachelor's degree starts the path, and public-sector roles trade some pay for stability and pensions.
Civil Engineers pay
U.S. national figures, May 2025 BLS survey · How we got this number
Median pay
$100,840
a year
Hourly
$48.48
per hour
The solid band is the middle 50% of workers; the bar spans the 10th to 90th percentile.
Average pay
$108,670
$52.24 per hour
Middle 50%
$79,930 – $129,680
25th to 75th percentile
Full spread
$68,240 – $163,220
10th to 90th percentile
People employed
367,840
nationwide
National U.S. figure, May 2025. Local pay can be higher or lower.
- 10th percentile
- $68,240
- $32.81/hr
- 25th percentile
- $79,930
- $38.43/hr
- Median percentile
- $100,840
- $48.48/hr
- 75th percentile
- $129,680
- $62.34/hr
- 90th percentile
- $163,220
- $78.47/hr
Job outlook · federal projection 2024–34
+5%
Growing faster than average
368,900
jobs in 2024
387,500
projected for 2034
About 18,600 more jobs
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections, 2024–34. Projections describe the broader occupation group and are estimates, not guarantees.
What does a civil engineer 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.
The tasks that matter most day to day
- 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.
- 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.
How to become a civil engineer
Most people in this role hold bachelor's degree — 86% of workers surveyed reported it as their level of education.
Preparation level: zone 4 — Considerable preparation needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Education reported by people doing this job
- Bachelor's Degree86%
- Master's Degree10%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate5%
Common questions
How much does a civil engineer earn?
The national median is $100,840 a year. The full range runs from $68,240 at the 10th percentile to $163,220 at the 90th — entry pay sits closer to the lower figure, and experience, licensing and specialisation move you up the range.
Can you become a civil engineer without a degree?
Not usually — this occupation sits in preparation zone 4, where the typical entry route is most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not. The education breakdown above shows what people in the role actually reported.
Is civil engineer in demand?
Federal projections expect employment to grow by about 5% between 2024 and 2034 — growing faster than average. Openings also come from people retiring or changing jobs, which the growth figure does not count.
Skills and knowledge you need
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.9/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Mathematics3.9/5
- Critical Thinking3.9/5
- Science3.8/5
Knowledge areas
- Design4.7/5
- Engineering and Technology4.7/5
- Building and Construction4.5/5
- Mathematics4.5/5
- English Language4.0/5
- Physics3.7/5
- Administration and Management3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4/5
Transferable strengths: Complex Problem Solving, Systems Analysis, Time Management, Operations Analysis.