Civil Engineering Tech

Types of Degrees Civil Engineering Tech Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many civil engineering technology graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Associate Degree	658
Bachelor’s Degree	266
Basic Certificate	147
Undergraduate Certificate	68

What Civil Engineering Tech Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to civil engineering tech and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Civil Engineering Tech Majors

Civil Engineering Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Civil Engineering Tech Majors

A major in civil engineering tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Civil Engineering Tech Majors

As a civil engineering tech major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Civil Engineering Tech Major?

People with a civil engineering tech degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Civil Engineering Technicians	8.9%	$52,580

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Civil Engineering Tech?

Civil Engineering Technology runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #31 out of all the trade school majors we track. In 2021, about 690 graduates completed their associate’s degree in this field. This major attracts more men than women. About 86% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of civil engineering tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	18
Black or African American	60
Hispanic or Latino	91
White	428
International Students	10
Other Races/Ethnicities	51

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Civil Engineering Tech, too. About 1.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• Saudi Arabia
• China
• India
• Nigeria
• Kuwait

How Much Do Civil Engineering Tech Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Civil Engineering Tech majors often go into careers with median salaries of $54,670. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Civil Engineering Tech

Some degrees associated with civil engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for civil engineering tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	29.8%
Some College Courses	28.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	21.2%
Bachelor’s Degree	18.3%

Online Civil Engineering Tech Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	23	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	2	0
Associate’s Degree	125	2
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	1	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Civil Engineering Tech Worth It?

The median salary for a civil engineering tech grad is $54,670 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 37% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $295,400 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Civil Engineering Tech

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to civil engineering tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	11,288
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,780
Environmental Control Technology	9,376
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	8,822
Electronics Engineering Technology	8,347
Engineering-Related Fields	6,553
Mechanical Engineering Technology	6,205
Construction Engineering Technology	4,299
General Engineering Technology	3,841
Quality Control Technology	3,720
Computer Engineering Technology	3,509
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,907
Energy Systems Technologies	1,277
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,239
Engineering-Related Technologies	969
Mining & Petroleum Technology	410
Nuclear Engineering Technology	235
Nanotechnology	104

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Sean Mack under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.