Explore
Site, transportation & structural
Civil Engineer
Stamping drawings that people will drive across.
Typical pay
$65k-$130k
How you get in
ABET bachelor's, FE exam, 4 years experience, PE exam
Outlook
Strong with infrastructure investment
Civil engineers design and oversee infrastructure — roads, bridges, water systems, site development. The PE license is the career hinge: before it you assist, after it you sign and take responsibility.
A day in the life
- 8:00aReview plan markups from the senior engineer
- 9:30aRun drainage calculations for a site plan
- 11:00aCoordination call with the surveyor and architect
- 1:00pSite visit to check construction against the drawings
- 3:00pPermit comments from the county
- 4:30pUpdate the drawing set
How to get in
Degree to PE license
Duration
8 years total
Cost
$40,000-$180,000
Credential
Professional Engineer license
- Complete an ABET-accredited civil engineering degree
- Pass the FE exam, ideally in your senior year
- Work four years under a licensed PE
- Pass the PE exam — this is when your career actually starts
Engineering technician into engineering
Duration
2-6 years
Cost
$8,000-$30,000 for an associate
Credential
AS, then optionally a bachelor's and PE
- Complete a civil engineering technology associate degree
- Work as a technician or CAD drafter
- Have an employer fund the bachelor's completion
- Then follow the FE and PE path
Master's for specialization
Duration
1-2 years after the bachelor's
Cost
$20,000-$80,000
Credential
MS plus PE
- Complete a bachelor's and start work
- Add a master's in structural, geotechnical or water resources
- Specialization raises pay more than the degree itself
- Still requires the four years and the PE exam
What people love
- · Stable, recession-resistant infrastructure work
- · The PE license is a durable credential
- · You can point at what you built
- · Public and private sector options
What wears people down
- · Pay lags software and finance for similar difficulty
- · Permitting and bureaucracy consume real time
- · Liability follows your stamp
- · Four-year degree plus a licensing gauntlet