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Construction Engineering

Types of Degrees Construction Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Construction Engineering can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	186
Associate’s Degree	774
Bachelor’s Degree	2,893
Master’s Degree	1,216
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Construction Engineering Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Construction Engineering develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Construction Engineering graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Construction Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Construction Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Construction Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Construction Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Construction Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Trimble SketchUp Pro	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Construction Engineering graduates include:

• Construction Director
• Multifamily Superintendent
• Utility Division Project Manager
• Superintendent
• Concrete Foreman
• Commercial Construction Project Manager
• Solar Commercial Installation Electrician Manager
• Weatherization Operations Manager
• Construction Manager
• Electrical Superintendent
• Masonry Contractor Administrator (Masonry Construction Admin)
• Site Manager
• Project Coordinator
• Maintenance of Way Superintendent (MOW Superintendent)
• Commercial Construction Superintendent

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Construction Engineering graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.8%
Postsecondary certificate	16.2%
Some college courses	13.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.9%
Master’s degree	3.6%
Less than a high school diploma	2.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Construction Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.5% of Construction Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	840	16.5%
Men	4,249	83.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Construction Engineering graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,472	48.6%
Asian	149	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,222	24.0%
Black or African American	293	5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	140	2.8%
Race Unknown	170	3.3%
International Students	617	12.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Construction Engineering Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Construction Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$73,240
4 years	$83,841
5 years	$94,183

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $94,183 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Construction Engineering Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Construction Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	3
Bachelor’s	4	3
Master’s	8	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Construction Engineering Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Construction Engineering graduates earn a median of $83,841 four years after completion — roughly 121% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Engineering Technologies	91,975
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	11,920
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians	11,391
Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians	10,798
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,702
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	9,196
Engineering-Related Fields	8,633
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	5,996
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians	3,938
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	3,275
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,247
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	1,557

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.