What Do Civil Engineers Do?

Civil engineers plan, design, and build our physical environments. Every bridge you cross, every glass of clean water you drink, every skyscraper or hospital or school you’ve ever been in — civil engineers helped make it all possible.

Depending on their specialty, civil engineers might spend their days planning railways, designing hurricane-proof stadiums, engineering waterways and dams, or developing sustainable building technologies.

The work of many civil engineers increasingly focuses on sustainability and environmental impact. Through the Federal Buy Clean Initiative and other incentives, the U.S. government invests considerable resources into low-carbon construction materials, greener building practices, and water conservation efforts.

If you want a career where the things you imagine become real — and change the world for the better — consider getting a degree in civil engineering.

Civil engineering is a branch of engineering that focuses on planning, building, and maintaining large infrastructure projects, including:

Civil engineering plays a vital role in making our communities safe and functional.

“The field of civil engineering is rather broad and overlaps with other engineering disciplines such as environmental, architectural, and mechanical engineering,” said research and development engineer Dr. Hagen Fritz.

“Studying any engineering discipline helps you become a competent and confident problem-solver. This skill is something that cannot be overstated.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay for civil engineers in 2022 was $89,940. The lowest 10% of earners took home less than $61,040 a year, while the highest 10% earned more than $138,690.

Government jobs at the federal level offered the highest median salaries for civil engineers in 2022.

Additionally, the BLS projects that jobs for civil engineers will grow by 5% between 2022 and 2032, which is faster than the average for all occupations.

The typical workday for a civil engineer can vary depending on their projects, specialization, and workplace. But here’s a general overview of common tasks civil engineers undertake:

“My biggest piece of advice for anyone interested in civil engineering is to research the roles and responsibilities of people working in the specific subdiscipline you are interested in,” said Dr. Fritz. “I know I had preconceived notions about what someone in a certain discipline might do, but found over time that many of those notions were incorrect.”

Civil engineering is a diverse field with a number of specializations to choose from. The table below breaks down some of the more common civil engineering specializations and subfields.

Your life as a civil engineer in one subfield may look dramatically different from a role in another.

“For example — as a research and development engineer in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, my role is unique. I have the privilege of testing and working with new advancements and topics like artificial intelligence and robotics to see how these technologies could be integrated into the construction process,” said Dr. Fritz.

Not every civil engineer will be working with AI (at least, not right away) — but every civil engineer will probably need programming skills to excel, regardless of their subfield.

“I would advise new engineers to become adept in some sort of programming language — these days, you will use a suite of software to accomplish the tasks you need to do as a civil engineer,” said Dr. Fritz. “I wish I had spent more time honing those skills at an earlier stage.”