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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 Do?
The day-to-day responsibilities of civil engineering technologists and technicians cover:
- 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
Successful civil engineering technologists and technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- 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.
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians Pay
| 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 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for civil engineering technologists and technicians vary by region. 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
Most 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 |
Below are examples of industries where civil engineering technologists and technicians work:
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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for civil engineering technologists and technicians is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Most 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), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Construction Managers (Primary-Short)
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (Supplemental)
- Cost Estimators (Supplemental)
- Logistics Engineers (Supplemental)
- Project Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (Supplemental)
- Civil Engineers (Supplemental)
- Transportation Engineers (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Future civil engineering technologists and technicians typically earn programs in:
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
4 programs across 4 majors
Construction Trades
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced 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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