Civil Engineers

Summary

Among their many duties, civil engineers oversee activities of construction personnel at the project site.

Quick Facts: Civil Engineers
2010 Median Pay	$77,560 per year $37.29 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Bachelor’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	262,800
Job Outlook, 2010-20	19% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	51,100

What Civil Engineers Do

Civil engineers design and supervise large construction projects, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.

Work Environment

Civil engineers generally work indoors in offices. However, they sometimes spend time outdoors at construction sites so they can monitor operations or solve problems at the site. Most work full time.

How to Become a Civil Engineer

Civil engineers need a bachelor’s degree. They typically need a graduate degree for promotion to managerial positions. Civil engineers who sell their own services publicly must be licensed in all states and the District of Columbia.

Pay

The median annual wage of civil engineers was $77,560 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of civil engineers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job openings for civil engineers are expected to be numerous through 2020.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of civil engineers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about civil engineers by contacting these additional resources.

What Civil Engineers Do About this section

Civil engineers design major transportation projects.

Civil engineers design and supervise large construction projects, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.

Duties

Civil engineers typically do the following:

• Analyze survey reports, maps, and other data to plan projects
• Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors in planning stages
• Test soils to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations
• Test building materials, such as concrete, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects
• Provide cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility
• Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards
• Oversee, or participate in, surveying to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction
• Present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions

Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. Others work in design, construction, research, and teaching. They work with others on projects and may be assisted by civil engineering technicians and technologists.

The federal government employs about 12,100 civil engineers to do many of the same things done in private industry, except that the federally employed civil engineers may also inspect projects to be sure that they comply with regulations.

Civil engineers work on complex projects, so they usually specialize in one of several areas.

Geotechnical engineers work to make sure that foundations are solid. They focus on how structures built by civil engineers, such as buildings and tunnels, interact with the earth (including soil and rock). Additionally, they design and plan for slopes, retaining walls, and tunnels.

Structural engineers design and assess major projects, such as bridges or dams, to ensure their strength and durability.

Transportation engineers plan and design everyday systems, such as streets and highways, but they also plan larger projects, such as airports, ports, and harbors.

Work Environment About this section

Though civil engineers must work in an office setting to produce their plans, they must also spend much time on site to oversee construction.

Civil engineers held about 262,800 jobs in 2010. Civil engineers generally work indoors in offices. However, they sometimes spend time outdoors at construction sites so they can monitor operations or solve problems at the site. Occasionally, civil engineers travel abroad to work on large engineering projects in other countries.

Nearly all civil engineers work full time. However, many civil engineers work on projects that are under contractual deadlines. Engineers overseeing these projects often work longer hours to make sure that deadlines are met.

Industries employing the largest number of civil engineers in 2010 were as follows:

How to Become a Civil Engineer About this section

Civil engineers need a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or one of its specialties.

Civil engineers need a bachelor’s degree. They typically need a graduate degree for promotion to managerial positions. Civil engineers who sell their own services publicly must be licensed in all states and the District of Columbia.

Education

Civil engineers must first complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or one of its specialties. The degree should be from a program approved by ABET (formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). A program accredited by ABET is needed in order to gain licensure, which is required to work as a professional engineer (PE).

Programs in civil engineering typically take 4 years to complete and include coursework in mathematics, statistics, engineering mechanics and systems, and fluid dynamics, among other courses, depending on the specialty. Courses include a mix of traditional classroom learning and laboratory and field work.

About one of every five civil engineers has a master’s degree. Further education after the bachelor’s degree is helpful in getting a job as a manager. A civil engineer needs both a license and experience to become a manager.

Licenses

Civil engineers who sell their own services publicly must be licensed in all states and the District of Columbia. A license is required to exercise direct control of a project and to supervise other civil engineers, civil engineering technologists, and civil engineering technicians. A degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program is generally required to obtain a license.

Early in the licensing process, a civil engineer also must take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination. After passing this exam and meeting a particular state’s requirements, an engineer then becomes a Civil Engineering (CE) Intern or an Engineer-in-Training. Afterward, depending on the state, civil engineers must have a minimum of experience, pass more exams, and satisfy other requirements to qualify as a CE Professional.

Important Qualities

Complex problem-solving skills. Civil engineers work at the highest level of design and plan large infrastructure projects, such as airports and roadways, which requires solving complex problems.

Decision-making skills. Civil engineers must determine the feasibility of plans, especially regarding financial costs and safety concerns. Urban and regional planners often look to civil engineers for advice on these issues.

Leadership skills. Civil engineers are ultimately responsible for the infrastructure project’s design and implementation. Therefore, they must be able to lead surveyors, construction managers, civil engineering technicians, and others to implement the plan.

Math skills. Civil engineers use the principals of calculus, trigonometry, and other advanced topics in mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting in their work.

Project management. Only licensed civil engineers can sign the plans for infrastructure projects. This makes it imperative that civil engineers be able to monitor and evaluate the work at the job site as a project progresses.

Writing skills. Civil engineers must be able to communicate with other professionals, such as architects, landscape architects, and urban and regional planners. This means that civil engineers must be able to write clear reports that people without an engineering background can follow.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of civil engineers was $77,560 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $50,560, and the top 10 percent earned more than $119,320.

Median annual wages in the industries employing the largest numbers of civil engineers in May 2010 were as follows:

Nearly all civil engineers work full time. However, many civil engineers work on projects that are under contractual deadlines. Engineers overseeing these projects often work longer hours to make sure that deadlines are met.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of civil engineers is expected to grow 19 percent from 2010 to 2020, about as fast as the average for all occupations. As infrastructure continues to age, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects to rebuild bridges, repair roads, and upgrade levees and dams.

Moreover, a growing population means that water systems must be maintained to reduce or eliminate leaks of drinkable water. Additionally, more waste treatment plants will be needed to help clean the nation’s waterways. Civil engineers play a key part in all of this work.

States will continue to face financial challenges and may have difficulty funding all the projects that need attention. Additionally, private investors are unlikely to lend financing for maintenance and repair work. However, whether or not there is federal funding, the repairs and replacements to the infrastructure will have to be made, creating demand for civil engineers.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For information about general engineering education and career resources, visit

American Society for Engineering Education

Technology Student Association

For more information about licensure as a civil engineer, visit

National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying

National Society of Professional Engineers

For information about accredited engineering programs, visit

ABET

For more information about civil engineers, visit

American Society of Civil Engineers