Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians earn a median of $64,950 per year ($31.23/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 3.2% through 2035, with about 6,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Associate's degree.
- SOC 17-3022
- Architecture and Engineering
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $64,950a year, or $31.23/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $44KTop 10% $99K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +3.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+3.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +3.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 6,10070,900 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202570.9K
- Projected 203573.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 70.9K Projected 2035 73.2K - Typical education
- Associate'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school2.7%
- Certificate29.8%
- Some college28.1%
- Associate's21.2%
- Bachelor's18.3%
Highest education held by civil engineering technologists and technicians Segment Value High school 2.7% Certificate 29.8% Some college 28.1% Associate's 21.2% Bachelor's 18.3%
Also advertised as: Civil Designer, Civil Engineering Assistant, Civil Engineering Technician, Design Technician, Engineer Technician, Engineering Assistant.
Pay
How much do Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians make?
Every civil engineering technologist and technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$64,950
Middle half earn $51,490 to $80,650
- 10th
- $44,220
- 25th
- $51,490
- 75th
- $80,650
- 90th
- $98,980
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $44,220 |
| 25th | $51,490 |
| Median | $64,950 |
| 75th | $80,650 |
| 90th | $98,980 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $64,950
- Median hourly wage
- $31.23/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $68,990
- People employed
- 68,520
Versus all US occupations
At $64,950, Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians earn 27% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,970 a year.
Versus architecture and engineering occupations
Inside the Architecture and Engineering group, where the middle occupation pays $104,110, this is 38% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $98,980 or more while the bottom 10% earn $44,220, a gap of 2.2×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 40% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Oregon posts the highest raw median ($85,390), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $82,655 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oregon | $85,390 | $82,613 | 970 |
| 2California | $83,490 | $75,406 | 7,250 |
| 3Washington | $79,580 | $74,365 | 2,090 |
| 4Illinois | $79,190 | $79,223 | 4,190 |
| 5Minnesota | $78,690 | $79,790 | 2,030 |
| 6Nevada | $74,810 | $74,826 | 800 |
| 7Vermont | $74,100 | $75,645 | 200 |
| 8Wisconsin | $73,970 | $78,612 | 1,560 |
| 9New York | $73,790 | $68,374 | 1,710 |
| 10Connecticut | $73,430 | $70,872 | 330 |
Job outlook
Is Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +3.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +3.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 2,300 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 6,100 openings are projected each year, 8.6% of the 70,900 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
The country’s infrastructure, such as bridges, roads, levees, airports, and dams, will need to be repaired, maintained, and enhanced. In addition, more waste treatment plants will be needed to help clean the nation’s waterways, and water systems must be maintained to reduce or eliminate the loss of potable water. Civil engineers plan, design, and oversee this work, and civil engineering technologists and technicians will be needed to assist the engineers in these projects.
However, employment growth in this occupation may be limited as improved drafting tools, such as computer-aided design (CAD) software, increase worker productivity.
Getting in
How to become a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician
An associate’s degree, preferably in civil engineering technology, is typically required to enter the occupation.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Associate's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as civil engineering technologists and technicians.
- Post-Secondary Certificate29.8%
- Some College Courses28.1%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree21.2%
- Bachelor's Degree18.3%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)2.7%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 29.8% |
| Some College Courses | 28.1% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 21.2% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 18.3% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 2.7% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician do?
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.
Civil engineering technologists and technicians help civil engineers plan, design, and build highways, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. They also help to plan, design, and build commercial, industrial, residential, and land development projects.
Day-to-day tasks
- Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer.
- Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
- Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
- Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
- Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
- Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Civil engineering technologists and technicians usually work full time. When working at construction sites, their schedules may be subject to factors that affect construction, such as weather. Their schedules also may be tied to those of the construction projects they are involved with.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Where civil engineering technologists and technicians work
Share of jobs by employer type
- Engineering services47%
- State government, excluding education and hospitals23%
- Local government, excluding education and hospitals19%
- Construction3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Engineering services | 47% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 23% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 19% |
| Construction | 3% |
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Active Listening3.8
- Mathematics3.6
- Speaking3.4
- Writing3.3
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Learning2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Active Listening | 3.8 |
| Mathematics | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.4 |
| Writing | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.3 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Social Perceptiveness2.9
- Systems Analysis2.9
- Time Management2.9
- Service Orientation2.8
- Systems Evaluation2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.9 |
| Systems Analysis | 2.9 |
| Time Management | 2.9 |
| Service Orientation | 2.8 |
| Systems Evaluation | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Geographic information system · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Graphics or photo imaging software
- Internet browser software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 3 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Realistic5.8
- Investigative5.4
- Conventional5.3
- Artistic2.9
- Enterprising2.0
- Social1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician
O*NET related occupations
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Mechanical Engineering Technologist and Technician
$74,510median a year
Most earn $48K to $106K
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More architecture and engineering careers
Median annual pay, with civil engineering technologists and technicians highlighted
- Aerospace Engineer$134,960
- Electrical Engineer$120,630
- Environmental Engineer$107,110
- Mechanical Engineer$104,110
- Automotive Engineer$104,110
- Industrial Engineer$102,440
- Civil Engineer$100,840
- Architect$99,280
- Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician$64,950
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aerospace Engineer | $134,960 |
| Electrical Engineer | $120,630 |
| Environmental Engineer | $107,110 |
| Mechanical Engineer | $104,110 |
| Automotive Engineer | $104,110 |
| Industrial Engineer | $102,440 |
| Civil Engineer | $100,840 |
| Architect | $99,280 |
| Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician | $64,950 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician appears on
Questions
Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians make?
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians earn a median of $64,950 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 27% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $31.23/hr. The middle half earn between $51,490 and $80,650. The top 10% earn $98,980 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician?
Usually a two-year degree rather than a four-year one. BLS lists an associate's degree as the typical entry-level education for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 29.8% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 3.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 6,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician do?
Civil engineering technologists and technicians help civil engineers plan, design, and build highways, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure projects. A core O*NET task: calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer. Employers most often ask for Computer aided design CAD software, Development environment software, Electronic mail software.
Which states pay Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians are Oregon ($85,390), California ($83,490), Washington ($79,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $82,655.
What personality type suits a Civil Engineering Technologist and Technician?
O*NET scores Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians highest on the Realistic, Investigative and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.