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Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians: Career Profile

Apply theory and principles of civil engineering in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of structures and facilities under the direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.

The Daily Work of Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of civil engineering technologists and technicians include:

  • Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer.
  • Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
  • Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications.
  • Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
  • Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
  • Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
  • Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.

What Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Need to Know

Top civil engineering technologists and technicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Critical Thinking  3.9 / 5
0
5
Reading Comprehension  3.8 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.8 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.6 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.4 / 5
0
5
Monitoring  3.2 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Engineering and Technology  4.5 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  4.2 / 5
0
5
Building and Construction  4.2 / 5
0
5
Design  4.2 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.6 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.6 / 5
0
5

Types of Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Jobs

Common job titles for this role include:

  • Bridge Construction Inspector
  • CADD Technician (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Technician)
  • Civil Designer
  • Civil Engineer Helper
  • Civil Engineer's Aide
  • Civil Engineering Assistant
  • Civil Engineering Technician
  • Civil Engineering Technologist

Employment and Demand

The U.S. employs around 235,856 civil engineering technologists and technicians working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +11.0% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

How Much Do Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $86,216
Hourly median $41.45
10th percentile $58,349
25th percentile $72,282
75th percentile $100,149
90th percentile $114,082

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

How Much Do Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Make in Different U.S. States?

State Annual median salary
District of Columbia $105,820
Oregon $86,170
California $81,240
Minnesota $78,220
Washington $78,110
Connecticut $75,230
Illinois $73,520
Colorado $72,760
Nevada $72,330
Arizona $69,800
Vermont $66,750
Hawaii $66,410
Virginia $65,480
Iowa $65,190
New Jersey $64,990
Florida $64,740
Nebraska $64,700
Rhode Island $64,620
Massachusetts $64,470
Wisconsin $64,310
Indiana $64,050
New York $63,790
Idaho $63,460
Missouri $63,320
Louisiana $63,050
North Dakota $62,550
Pennsylvania $62,160
Tennessee $61,920
Maine $61,860
Utah $61,770
Oklahoma $61,510
Ohio $61,220
Texas $61,190
Michigan $60,710
North Carolina $60,460
Maryland $60,450
New Mexico $60,360
New Hampshire $59,930
South Dakota $59,650
Montana $58,740
Kansas $58,700
West Virginia $58,440
South Carolina $58,380
Wyoming $57,700
Georgia $57,400
Delaware $56,880
Kentucky $53,450
Alabama $51,720
Arkansas $49,620
Mississippi $46,540
Alaska $45,390
Puerto Rico $35,360

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Compensation for civil engineering technologists and technicians shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $79,182 16.9% 1.08
Plains States $66,525 9.1% 1.51
Great Lakes $66,150 15.5% 1.18
Rocky Mountains $65,946 5.1% 1.35
New England $65,123 3.8% 0.92
Middle Atlantic $63,532 9.6% 0.82
Southwest $62,541 13.0% 1.10
Southeast $58,678 26.3% 1.34

Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Napa, CA CA $95,680 40
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $93,770 330
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $90,540 1,050
Bend, OR OR $90,480 40
Corvallis, OR OR $90,480 30
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV DC $89,060 770
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA CA $87,960 70
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT CT $87,820 60

Which Industries Hire Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

The bulk of civil engineering technologists and technicians work in these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 31,800 $63,260
Construction 1,950 $60,080
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 530 $56,720
Educational Services 470 $67,340
Manufacturing 450 $67,140
Utilities 330 $82,370
Management of Companies and Enterprises 130 $67,070
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction 80 $96,380
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians industries

Tech Stack

  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD (hot technology)
  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D (hot technology)
  • Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk Revit (hot technology)
  • Computer aided design CAD software: Bentley MicroStation (hot technology)
  • Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Development environment software: Microsoft Visual Basic (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)

Work Environment

Daily working conditions for civil engineering technologists and technicians tends to involve the following characteristics:

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • E-Mail
  • Contact With Others
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

How to Become Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Entry-level civil engineering technologists and technicians positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.

Other Careers to Consider

Similar Occupations

Top Programs to Study For This Career

Aspiring civil engineering technologists and technicians often complete programs in:

4 programs across 4 majors

Construction Trades

1 programs across 1 majors

About the Data

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 17-3022.00 (Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians).

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