Engineers

How to become a Civil Engineer

Official title: Civil Engineers

Also called: City Engineer, Civil Engineer, County Engineer, Design Engineer, Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Licensed Engineer, Project Engineer, Railroad Design Consultant, Structural Engineer

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.

Main tasks

Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
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.
Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.

How to become one

Civil engineers typically need a bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a related field to enter the occupation. They typically need a state-issued license if they provide services directly to the public.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Engineering degrees, Offered by 36 universities in the US
Licence: A licence is required in 49 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $100,840 a year The middle half earn $79,930 to $129,680.
About 380,600 people work in this job now, and about 405,100 are projected by 2035. (+6.4%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Civil Engineer?

How much does a Civil Engineer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $100,840 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $79,930 to $129,680.

Is a Civil Engineer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 6% by 2035, from about 380,600 to about 405,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Civil Engineer?

Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Civil Engineer?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.