Apply theory and principles of civil engineering in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of structures and facilities under the direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. CareerOneStop's licensing data records no state license for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians, which usually means it is not a licensed occupation. Requirements can still vary by employer and state.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 7 professional certifications to Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians. 3 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Advanced" group, for example: Certified in Green Plumbing Design (GPD), Certified Plumbing Design Technician (CPDT), Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 2.5 hours and sit about 5.5 hours per day. For 43.1% of workers the job requires sedentary strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (58.2%), have a consistently fast work pace (65.7%), cannot pause their work (3.9%), and are exposed to the outdoors (84.1%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most civil engineering technologists and technicians are Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (52% of the jobs counted, median pay $62,970), State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (22% of the jobs counted, median pay $61,950), Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (19% of the jobs counted, median pay $76,190), Nonresidential Building Construction (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $66,750) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($76,190), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services ($62,970), State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals ($61,950). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 44.0 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 9 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Architecture and engineering", which includes this career, 6.4% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $2,083 for union members and $1,921 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to civil engineering technologists and technicians.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to civil engineering technologists and technicians, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for civil engineering technologists and technicians are: face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (99%), e-mail (97%), indoors, environmentally controlled (89%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (88%), contact with others (86%), telephone conversations (85%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (31% of 36 respondents) was "over 8 years, up to and including 10 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (43% of 36 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to civil engineering technologists and technicians in the work done and the skills used: Architectural and Civil Drafters, Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Construction Managers, Construction and Building Inspectors, Electrical and Electronics Drafters, Mechanical Drafters, Transportation Engineers, Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what civil engineering technologists and technicians earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare civil engineering technologists and technicians with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
CIP 15.0201
Building Construction Technology/Technician
CIP 46.0415