# Civil Engineers

> 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.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 17-2051.00
- **Summary:** 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.

## Aliases

- Civil Engineer
- Design Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Structural Engineer
- City Engineer
- County Engineer
- Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Licensed Engineer
- Railroad Design Consultant
- Airport Engineer
- Architectural Engineer

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations. | Core | 4.A.4.b.1.g |
| Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. | Supplemental | 4.A.1.b.2.c |
| Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards. | Core | 4.A.1.b.2.e |
| Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site. | Core | 4.A.4.b.4.i |
| Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications. | Core | 4.A.2.b.1.h |
| Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools. | Core | 4.A.2.b.2.o |
| Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs. | Core | 4.A.4.b.6.e |
| Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data. | Core | 4.A.2.a.4.e |
| Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction. | Core | 4.A.1.b.3.d |
| Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects. | Supplemental | 4.A.1.a.1.j |
| Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility. | Core | 4.A.1.b.3.b |
| Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions. | Core | 4.A.3.b.6.g |

## Emerging Tasks

| Text |
| --- |
| Use drone technology for site surveying, inspection, and monitoring of infrastructure projects. |

## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects. | 4.A.2.b.1.h |
| Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards. | 4.A.1.b.2.e |
| Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features. | 4.A.1.b.3.d |
| Estimate operational costs. | 4.A.1.b.3.b |
| Prepare proposal documents. | 4.A.3.b.6.g |
| Explain project details to the general public. | 4.A.4.a.3.b |
| Test characteristics of materials or structures. | 4.A.1.b.2.c |
| Investigate the environmental impact of projects. | 4.A.1.a.1.j |
| Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities. | 4.A.3.b.2.b |
| Design systems to reduce harmful emissions. | 4.A.2.b.2.m |
| Implement design or process improvements. | 4.A.2.b.1.i |
| Develop technical methods or processes. | 4.A.3.b.2.f |
| Coordinate safety or regulatory compliance activities. | 4.A.4.b.1.g |
| Recommend technical design or process changes to improve efficiency, quality, or performance. | 4.A.4.b.6.e |
| Direct construction activities. | 4.A.4.b.4.i |
| Create graphical representations of civil structures. | 4.A.2.b.2.o |
| Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans. | 4.A.2.a.4.e |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Design | knowledge | 4.7 |
| Engineering and Technology | knowledge | 4.67 |
| Building and Construction | knowledge | 4.53 |
| Mathematics | knowledge | 4.48 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 4 |
| English Language | knowledge | 4 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 4 |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 4 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 4 |
| Written Expression | ability | 4 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 4 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 4 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 4 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Mathematics | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 3.88 |
| Complex Problem Solving | transferable_skill | 3.88 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3.88 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | ability | 3.88 |
| Science | essential_skill | 3.75 |
| Systems Analysis | transferable_skill | 3.75 |
| Time Management | transferable_skill | 3.75 |
| Fluency of Ideas | ability | 3.75 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 3.75 |
| Number Facility | ability | 3.75 |
| Visualization | ability | 3.75 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3.75 |
| Physics | knowledge | 3.71 |
| Operations Analysis | transferable_skill | 3.62 |
| Administration and Management | knowledge | 3.62 |
| Flexibility of Closure | ability | 3.62 |
| Perceptual Speed | ability | 3.62 |
| Far Vision | ability | 3.62 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 3.62 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 3.62 |
| Customer and Personal Service | knowledge | 3.43 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | transferable_skill | 3.38 |
| Writing | essential_skill | 3.25 |
| Active Learning | essential_skill | 3.25 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Autodesk Revit | Specialized Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Shell Script | Specialized Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Project | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Access | Specialized Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Adobe Acrobat | Specialized Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Verilog | Specialized Skill |
| PTC Creo Parametric | Specialized Skill |
| Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition | Specialized Skill |
| Minitab | Specialized Skill |
| Microsoft Internet Explorer | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Dynamics | Specialized Skill |
| Graphics Software | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | yes |
| Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | yes |
| Autodesk Revit | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | yes |
| Bentley MicroStation | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | yes |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | Presentation software | yes | yes |
| Adobe Acrobat | Document management software | yes | no |
| Apache Subversion SVN | File versioning software | yes | no |
| C | Development environment software | yes | no |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | no |
| ESRI ArcGIS software | Geographic information system | yes | no |
| Extensible markup language XML | Enterprise application integration software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Access | Data base user interface and query software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Project | Project management software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Visual Basic | Development environment software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | no |
| Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management | Project management software | yes | no |
| Procore software | Analytical or scientific software | yes | no |
| SAP software | Enterprise resource planning ERP software | yes | no |
| Shell script | Operating system software | yes | no |
| The MathWorks MATLAB | Analytical or scientific software | yes | no |
| Trimble SketchUp Pro | Graphics or photo imaging software | yes | no |
| Autodesk Land Desktop | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Bentley GeoPak Bridge | Graphics or photo imaging software | no | no |
| Bentley Haestad Methods CivilStorm | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Bentley InRoads Suite | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Bentley STAAD | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Bridge design software | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Cartography software | Map creation software | no | no |
| Computer aided design and drafting software CADD | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Corel WordPerfect Office Suite | Office suite software | no | no |
| Cost estimating software | Project management software | no | no |
| Dassault Systemes Abaqus | Analytical or scientific software | no | no |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Eagle Point Site Design | Computer aided design CAD software | no | no |
| Email software | Electronic mail software | no | no |
| ESRI ArcInfo | Geographic information system | no | no |
| ESRI ArcView | Geographic information system | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| E-Mail | 5 |
| Telephone Conversations | 4.9 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 4.76 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 4.4 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.38 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.38 |
| Contact With Others | 4.19 |
| Spend Time Sitting | 4.14 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 4 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 4 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 4 |
| Time Pressure | 4 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 3.9 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 3.9 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 3.57 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.57 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.48 |
| Consequence of Error | 3.43 |
| Level of Competition | 3.33 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 3.19 |
| In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment | 2.95 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 2.95 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 2.9 |
| Conflict Situations | 2.9 |
| Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions | 2.81 |
| Physical Proximity | 2.76 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 2.75 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 2.71 |
| Public Speaking | 2.33 |
| Degree of Automation | 2.33 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 2.3 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 2.29 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 2.24 |
| Exposed to High Places | 2.19 |
| Spend Time Standing | 2.19 |
| Outdoors, Under Cover | 2.14 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 2.14 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 2.05 |
| Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions | 2 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Equipment | 1.95 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 4
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- **Experience:** A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
- **Svp Range:** (7.0 to < 8.0)

### Education Distribution

| Label | Percentage |
| --- | --- |
| Bachelor's Degree | 85.71 |
| Master's Degree | 9.52 |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 4.76 |

## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dependability | work_style | 7 |
| Engineering | specific_interest_area | 6.82 |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 6.43 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 6 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 5.15 |
| Integrity | work_style | 5 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.61 |
| Mathematics/Statistics | specific_interest_area | 4.45 |
| Cautiousness | work_style | 4 |
| Construction/Woodwork | specific_interest_area | 3.67 |
| Management/Administration | specific_interest_area | 3.62 |
| Physical Science | specific_interest_area | 3.23 |
| Intellectual Curiosity | work_style | 3 |
| Information Technology | specific_interest_area | 2.84 |
| Enterprising | career_interest_type | 2.66 |
| Nature/Outdoors | specific_interest_area | 2.64 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 17-3022.00 | role-17-3022-00 | Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | Primary-Short |
| 17-2051.01 | role-17-2051-01 | Transportation Engineers | Primary-Short |
| 11-9021.00 | role-11-9021-00 | Construction Managers | Primary-Short |
| 17-2051.02 | role-17-2051-02 | Water/Wastewater Engineers | Primary-Short |
| 47-4011.00 | role-47-4011-00 | Construction and Building Inspectors | Primary-Short |
| 17-2081.00 | role-17-2081-00 | Environmental Engineers | Primary-Long |
| 17-3011.00 | role-17-3011-00 | Architectural and Civil Drafters | Primary-Long |
| 11-9041.00 | role-11-9041-00 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | Primary-Long |
| 17-1011.00 | role-17-1011-00 | Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | Primary-Long |
| 17-2151.00 | role-17-2151-00 | Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | Primary-Long |
| 17-2112.00 | role-17-2112-00 | Industrial Engineers | Supplemental |
| 47-1011.03 | role-47-1011-03 | Solar Energy Installation Managers | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Construction | construction |
| Public Service & Safety | public-service-safety |

## Education Level

- **Category:** Bachelor's degree

## Study Programs

| Title | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Engineering | engineering |

## Market

- **Median Wage:** 99590
- **Mean Wage:** 107050
- **Pct10Wage:** 65920
- **Pct25Wage:** 78790
- **Pct75Wage:** 128290
- **Pct90Wage:** 160990
- **Employment:** 355410
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 54 | 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Sector | 202800 | 99670 | 8.17 |
| 541330 | 541330 | Engineering Services | National industry | 188160 | 99380 | 70.6 |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 44580 | 82970 | 2.38 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 5010 | 108140 | 0.24 |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 4190 | 104310 | 0.14 |
| 55 | 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | Sector | 3180 | 117740 | 0.49 |
| 53 | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | Sector | 2500 | 90510 | 0.46 |
| 61 | 61 | Educational Services | Sector | 2070 | 102000 | 0.07 |
| 238220 | 238220 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | National industry | 2050 | 89610 | 0.7 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 2050 | 129690 | 0.34 |
| 22 | 22 | Utilities | Sector | 1940 | 113380 | 1.45 |
| 42 | 42 | Wholesale Trade | Sector | 1910 | 81490 | 0.14 |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 541330 | 541330 | Engineering Services | National industry | 188160 | 70.6 |
| 54 | 54 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | Sector | 202800 | 8.17 |
| 541380 | 541380 | Testing Laboratories and Services | National industry | 1040 | 2.65 |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 44580 | 2.38 |
| 221112 | 221112 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | National industry | 320 | 1.95 |
| 237130 | 237130 | Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | National industry | 960 | 1.78 |
| 238110 | 238110 | Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors | National industry | 910 | 1.53 |
| 22 | 22 | Utilities | Sector | 1940 | 1.45 |
- **Count:** 31

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.019 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | 1.282867 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | 1.97666 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | 0.9267973 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 74
- **Percentile:** 75
- **Band:** High
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 85 | felten_aioe |
| 68 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 69 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | 1.282867 | 85 | High | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0.8214285714285714 | 68 | High | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.20538238639198114 | 69 | High | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.019
- **Percentile:** 14
- **Band:** Low
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** yes

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0.07142857142857142
- **Beta:** 0.4464285714285714
- **Gamma:** 0.8214285714285714

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. | 0.004108311525046321 | 4.21 |
| Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards. | 0.0019514479743970028 | 4 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 5
- **Growth Percentile:** 74
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 23.6
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 80
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 368.9
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 387.5

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Ai Playbook

- **Trusted Task Count:** 3
- **Task Count:** 3
- **Total Sample:** 123
- **Autonomy Median:** 4
- **Dominant Collaboration:** learning
- **Augmentation Share:** 35.77
- **Work Use Percent:** 48.78

### Collaboration

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| learning | 22.76 |
| task iteration | 13.01 |

### Use Case

| Label | Percent |
| --- | --- |
| work | 48.78 |
| coursework | 22.76 |

### Delegated Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Collaboration | Autonomy Median | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, or program modifications or structural repairs. | 0.005200650081260158 | learning | 4 | 52 |
| Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. | 0.004100512564070509 | task iteration | 4 | 41 |
| Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards. | 0.0030003750468808603 |  | 3.5 | 30 |

### Boundary Tasks

| Task | Human Needed Percent | Sample Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, or program modifications or structural repairs. | 98.07692307692307 | 52 |
| Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. | 90.2439024390244 | 41 |
| Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards. | 90 | 30 |

### Seed Prompts

| Prompt | Collaboration |
| --- | --- |
| Teach me how to provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, or program modifications or structural repairs, then check my work as I try it myself. | learning |
| Let's work through this together, step by step: test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel. I'll give feedback as we go. | task iteration |
| Help me with this part of my job: inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards |  |
- **Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 16
- **Skills:** 51
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 73
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** d761651a73767aa5