| Civil Engineers | ||||||||||||
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| Nature of the Work | [About this section] |  Top |
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Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. The major specialties within civil engineering are structural, water resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and geotechnical engineering.
Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. Others may work in design, construction, research, and teaching.
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| Employment | [About this section] | Top |
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Civil engineers held about 232,000 jobs in 2000. A little over half were employed by firms providing engineering consulting services, primarily developing designs for new construction projects. Almost one third of the jobs were in Federal, State, and local government agencies. The construction and manufacturing industries accounted for most of the remaining employment. About 12,000 civil engineers were self-employed, many as consultants.
Civil engineers usually work near major industrial and commercial centers, often at construction sites. Some projects are situated in remote areas or in foreign countries. In some jobs, civil engineers move from place to place to work on different projects. | ||||||||||||
| Job Outlook | [About this section] | Top |
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Employment of civil engineers is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2010. Spurred by general population growth and an expanding economy, more civil engineers will be needed to design and construct higher capacity transportation, water supply, pollution control systems, and large buildings and building complexes. They also will be needed to repair or replace existing roads, bridges, and other public structures. There may be additional opportunities within noncivil engineering firms, such as management consulting or computer services firms. In addition to job growth, openings will result from the need to replace civil engineers that transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
Because construction and related industries—including those providing design services—employ many civil engineers, employment opportunities will vary by geographic area and may decrease during economic slowdowns, when construction often is curtailed. | ||||||||||||
| Earnings | [About this section] | Top |
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Median annual earnings of civil engineers were $55,740 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $45,150 and $69,470. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,430, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $86,000. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of civil engineers in 2000 were:
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| Sources of Additional Information | [About this section] | Top |
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Disclaimer: Links to non-BLS Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement. | ||||||||||||
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Further information about civil engineers can be obtained from:
(See introduction to the section on engineers for information on working conditions, training requirements, and other sources of additional information.)
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