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Civil Engineers

Designs the roads, bridges, buildings and water systems a town runs on.

Typical education to startBachelor's degree
Job outlook2025–2035: +6%
Median pay$100,840 a year (2025)
Interest codeRIC Realistic, Investigative, Conventional

Read the full guide

Civil engineers plan and design infrastructure: bridges, highways, building structures, dams, and the pipes that bring clean water in and take wastewater away. They work in offices and on job sites, for engineering firms, construction companies, and state and local governments.

Open the civil engineer guide

The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.

High school courses that build toward it

  • Engineering Design · Career and Technical

    Builds engineering, which this job uses.

  • Geometry · Math

    Builds math, which this job uses.

  • Physics · Science

    Builds physics, which this job uses.

  • Computer Science Principles · Computer Science

    Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.

  • English 10 · English

    Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.

  • Studio Art · Arts

    Builds design and technical drawing, which this job uses.

Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.

Civil Engineers on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.