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Civil engineer: the path

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. Description from O*NET

Also called: City Engineer, Civil Engineer, County Engineer, Design Engineer, Engineer

Typical pay$100,840Median yearly pay, BLS 2025
Job outlook+6.4% jobsProjected change, 2025–35. All jobs: +3.5%.
Time after high schoolAbout 4 yearsTypical full-time study and training
  1. Step 1Bachelor’s in civil engineering4 years, from a program accredited by ABET, the engineering accreditation board
  2. Step 2Internship or co-opPaid work terms during college
  3. Step 3Entry-level job
  4. Step 4Professional Engineer (PE) licenseOptional; needed to sign off on projects, after an exam and work experience

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree · More on the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

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Colleges for this path

Related majors: Civil Engineering · Construction Engineering

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College Scorecard, 2024 data. Earnings are the median for graduates of the related majors, 4 years after graduating. All figures are estimates.

Best value = earnings ÷ (net price × years of study). Net prices under $1,000 count as $1,000.

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