What Does a Civil Engineer Do? (+ How to Become One)

A civil engineer helps build and maintain infrastructures such as roads, bridges, buildings, or water resources. They help get water, electricity, people, and goods from place to place by creating the networks and facilities necessary to make transportation possible. Learn more about civil engineers and how to become one.

What do civil engineers do?

A civil engineer is an engineer with expertise in infrastructure construction and operation. Civil engineers participate in construction projects such as highways, railroads, and airports.

Where do civil engineers work?

Some civil engineers work for government agencies, while others work for consulting and construction firms that deal with private or government clients. Civil engineers may work in office settings during the planning phase of a project. During implementation, they may work on construction sites.

You may also work with the military as a civil engineer, as infrastructure is important to getting troops from place to place. In the United States, the US Army Corps of Engineers, which hires civilian engineers and trains soldiers in engineering principles, manages many civilian infrastructure projects.

How much do civil engineers make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median civil engineer salary in the US is $95,890 per year [1]. The top 10 percent earned more than $150,640, and the lowest 10 percent earned less than $63,220 [1]. Experience, location, and level of education can affect salary range.

What can I do to get a civil engineering degree?

Your path to becoming a civil engineer may begin by earning your degree. A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering is a four-year program that includes general education courses as well as major-specific courses in construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering. You may specialize in a specific area of civil engineering, such as coastal, structural, or environmental engineering. At the conclusion of your undergraduate program, you can start your career or continue your studies with a master’s degree in civil engineering program.

Types of civil engineers

Many civil engineers develop a specialty based on their interests and customer needs. Some may specialize in stormwater management. Others might handle road construction or seismic retrofitting, while others specialize in airports or railroads. Civil engineers may create the projects or operate them when complete.

Job titles associated with civil engineering include:

• Civil design engineer

• Civil engineer/project manager

• Structural engineer

• City engineer

• Permitting and licensing engineer

How to become a civil engineer

Civil engineering requires knowledge of math, physics, chemistry, and other technical subjects. According to Zippia, 77 percent of civil engineers have a bachelor’s degree, 12 percent have a master’s degree, and 6 percent have an associate degree [2].

Many civil engineers work for government agencies that may have their own hiring processes. These may include proof of citizenship and passing a civil service test.

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What skills do civil engineers need?

Civil engineers have specialized skills that match the work they do and the clients that they serve.

Technical skills

Engineers should have a solid foundation in math, physics, and chemistry. These other skills can round out your readiness to be a civil engineer:

• Specialty knowledge: Civil engineers need expertise in the materials they will be working with. An engineer who builds dams will need to understand fluid mechanics, while one who builds roads will need to understand changing soil conditions. You can acquire some of these skills on the job, while others require study. 

• Civil engineering software: Civil engineers doing design work may want to have certification on engineering systems such as Autodesk. Being an Autodesk Certified Professional shows potential employers and clients that you have expertise with the systems you will be using to draft construction projects.

• Project management: No matter what type of project you are working on, civil engineers need to understand project management. At the entry level, being familiar with project management concepts can help you understand a project’s structure. As you move up in your career, you may work more with project management concepts, eventually using them to direct projects from start to finish. Some engineers earn additional project management credentials to demonstrate their expertise. For example, you can earn a career certificate from Google in a self-paced, online course format:

Workplace skills

Key workplace skills civil engineers should have include:

• Communication: Engineers who are good at managing people, relating to clients, and interacting with vendors will have a significant advantage in the workplace. 

• Creativity and critical thinking: As an engineer, you’ll be developing solutions to the complexities of designing and creating bridges, roads, tunnels, and other infrastructure. The capacity to think through issues thoroughly and come up with ways to tackle construction hurdles will be good qualities to have.

• Leadership and teamwork: Civil engineers will often supervise the construction of projects. Being able to relay information to a team and resolve issues that arise will be important.

• Accountability: Much civil engineering work depends on being able to stick to budgets and follow regulations. The client relationship may include an obligation to hold hearings with members of the public about the work you are doing.

Paths to civil engineering

Earn a degree: A civil engineering degree will prepare you with coursework in math, physics, and chemistry and give you the chance to gain specialized knowledge in a field of civil engineering that interests you. The BLS reports that having at least a bachelor’s degree is usually necessary to become a civil engineer [3].

Get an internship: If you’re in school, a recent graduate, or looking to build experience, consider taking on an internship at an engineering consulting firm or government agency. An internship is a great way to get practical experience for the job.

Know where to look: You can find job openings at government agencies as well as engineering and consulting firms. Civil engineers are in enough demand that many firms do on-campus recruiting. You can also network with trade organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Civil engineer career path

At the entry level, many civil engineers work with more senior engineers to develop and complete projects. Entry-level engineers might help with quality control, oversee safety procedures, or assist in developing projects.

At more senior levels, a civil engineer might take on a more managerial role. This could include responding to requests for proposals or maintaining client relationships. Upper-level engineers may need certifications in project management or government contracting. 

Take the next step toward becoming a civil engineer

Being part of a team that makes sure buildings are seismically sound, designs bridges, or ensures the safety of water resources can be a rewarding way to contribute to society. Online courses can help prepare you for new opportunities and keep your knowledge current in an ever-changing technical field. You can try out an engineering class on Coursera, such as Dartmouth's Engineering of Structures Around Us Specialization.