Engineering professionals

How to become a civil engineer

Official title: Civil engineers

Also called: Engineer, Mud engineer, Mwd engineer, Oil engineer, City engineer, Dock engineer, Road engineer, Site engineer, Well engineer, Civil engineer, Docks engineer, Field engineer

Civil engineers undertake research and design, direct construction and manage the operation and maintenance of civil and mining engineering structures.

Main tasks

Undertakes research and advises on soil mechanics, concrete technology, hydraulics, water and waste water treatment processes and other civil engineering matters
Determines and specifies construction methods, materials, quality and safety standards and ensures that equipment operation and maintenance comply with design specifications
Designs foundations and earthworks
Designs structures such as roads, dams, bridges, railways, hydraulic systems, sewerage systems, industrial and other buildings and plans the layout of tunnels, wells and construction shafts
Organises and plans projects, arranges work schedules, carries out inspection work and plans maintenance control
Organises and establishes control systems to monitor operational efficiency and performance of materials and systems

How to become one

Civil engineers usually possess an accredited three or four year degree in civil engineering or engineering science or an accredited Higher National Diploma or Certificate. The status of ‘incorporated engineer’ is obtained upon the completion of further training at work and associate membership of a chartered engineering institution. The status of ‘chartered engineer’ is achieved through the completion of postgraduate training and full membership of a chartered engineering institution.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Building services engineer (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0372.
Apprenticeship (England): Civil engineer (level 6). England. Typically 60 months. Skills England standard ST0417.
Apprenticeship (England): Gas network craftsperson (level 3). England. Typically 48 months. Skills England standard ST0205.
Apprenticeship (England): Geotechnical engineer (integrated degree) (level 7). England. Typically 30 months. Skills England standard ST0881.
University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 25 universities in the UK

Pay · Outlook

Median full-time pay: £51,366 a year The middle half earn £39,802 to £65,000.
About 122,500 people work in this job now, and about 136,100 are projected by 2035. (+11.1%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a civil engineer?

How much does a civil engineer earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £51,366 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £39,802 to £65,000.

Is a civil engineer a growing career in the UK?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 11% by 2035, from about 122,500 to about 136,100 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a civil engineer?

Usually. 71% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Sources

Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.