Civil Engineer

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Work Tasks

• Design and plan roads, airports, tunnels, bridges, buildings, and water supply and sewage systems
• Manage construction workers who build the structures
• May focus on one area and work with one kind of structure
• May teach in universities or consult (give advice to) others
• Work in offices and at construction sites for the government, construction firms, utility companies, and universities
• Work with graphs, blueprints, maps, statistics, reports, computers, measuring and testing equipment, plans, photographs, and drawings

Salary, Size & Growth

• $74,000 average per year ($35.50 per hour)
• A large occupation (249,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.4% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in civil engineering
• Employers Prefer: A master's degree in civil engineering
• Certification/Licensing: Registration may be needed, which requires a degree, 4 years experience, and passing 2 tests.