Architecture and Engineering · Holland code RIC

Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

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.

Also called: Civil Engineering Technician, Engineer Technician, Engineering Assistant, Engineering Technician, Civil Designer, Civil Engineering Assistant, Design Technician, Transportation Engineering Technician.

O*NET 17-3022.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $64,950; Middle half earn $51,490 to $80,650. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 30% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
US employment outlook, 2024 to 2034: +2% · Slower than average; 64,900 jobs in 2024, projected 66,200. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, which groups this with similar roles as "Civil engineering technologists and technicians".

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer.
Inspect project site and evaluate contractor work to detect design malfunctions and ensure conformance to design specifications and applicable codes.
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.
Conduct materials test and analysis, using tools and equipment and applying engineering knowledge.
Develop plans and estimate costs for installation of systems, utilization of facilities, or construction of structures.
Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.8 / 5
Active Listening3.8 / 5
Mathematics3.6 / 5
Speaking3.4 / 5
Writing3.3 / 5

Knowledge areas

Engineering and Technology4.5 / 5
Mathematics4.2 / 5
Building and Construction4.2 / 5
Design4.2 / 5
Administrative3.6 / 5
Administration and Management3.6 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic79
Investigative73
Artistic31
Social9
Enterprising17
Conventional71

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

construction manager · DE Führungskraft bei Bauprojekten · FR directeur de la construction immobilière/directrice de la construction immobilière
civil engineer · DE Bauingenieur/Bauingenieurin · FR ingénieur génie civil/ingénieure génie civil
construction engineer · DE Bauingenieur Gebäudetechnik/Bauingenieurin Gebäudetechnik · FR ingénieur travaux/ingénieure travaux
transport engineer · DE Verkehrsingenieur/Verkehrsingenieurin · FR ingénieur infrastructures de transport/ingénieure infrastructures de transport
materials engineer · DE Ingenieur Werkstofftechnik/Ingenieurin Werkstofftechnik · FR ingénieur matériaux/ingénieure matériaux
quantity surveyor · DE Baukalkulator/Baukalkulatorin · FR économiste de la construction

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Building and civil engineering technicians (3114)20,100 employed
Production managers and directors in construction (1122)167,400 employed
Quantity surveyors (2453)45,300 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Technicians and associate professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€50,992
Austria	€46,986
Germany	€44,473
Netherlands	€42,448
Ireland	€41,613
Sweden	€41,155
Italy	€34,882
France	€34,816
Spain	€29,757
Portugal	€18,080
Poland	€12,108

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.93. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (17-3022).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test