Data & Research
 
* ELMI Occupation Profile - Civil Engineers *
 
Civil Engineers
(O*NET 17-2051.00, SOC 17-2051)
 
More detailed occupations under this title:
 - Transportation Engineers
 - Water/Wastewater Engineers
What they do
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
 
Also called:
City Engineer, Civil Engineer, County Engineer, Design Engineer, Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, Licensed Engineer, Project Engineer, Railroad Design Consultant, Structural Engineer
 
 
Wages
Vermont - 2023
Percentile1HourlyYearly
10% $ 30.72   $63,910  
25% $ 32.05   $66,660  
Median $ 37.83   $78,690  
75% $ 46.93   $97,600  
90% $ 56.89   $118,340  
 
Average $ 40.68   $84,620  
1 What are Percentile Wages?
More at CareerOneStop
 
Industries of Employment
United States - 2020
IndustryPercent of total
  • Professional, scientific, and technical services
55%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals
12%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals
10%
  • Construction of buildings
7%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service
4%
More at BLS
 
Knowledge
People in this career often know a lot about:
  • Design
    Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  • Engineering and Technology
    Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Building and Construction
    Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
  • Mathematics
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • English Language
    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
More at O*NET
 
Skills
People in this career often have these skills:
  • Active Listening
    Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Complex Problem Solving
    Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Critical Thinking
    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Mathematics
    Using mathematics to solve problems.
  • Reading Comprehension
    Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
More at O*NET
 
Interests
People in this career often prefer these work environments:
  • Realistic
    Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.
  • Investigative
    Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
  • Conventional
    Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
What are your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler
 
Work Styles
People in this career will do well at jobs that need:
  • Integrity
    Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Dependability
    Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Analytical Thinking
    Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Attention to Detail
    Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Initiative
    Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
More at O*NET
 
Tasks
On the job, you would:
  • Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
  • Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
  • Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
  • Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
  • Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
More at O*NET
 
Related Occupations
More at O*NET
 
 
Career Video
Watch at CareerOneStop with transcript or at YouTube.
 
Projected Employment
 Vermont
2020 employment 785
2030 employment 870
Annual percent change
(compounded)
1.0%
Annual projected job openings
(due to change and separations)
65
More at Occupational Projections
 
Education and Experience:
  • Typical education needed for entry
    Bachelor's degree
  • Work experience in a related occupation
    None
  • Typical on-the-job training needed to attain competency
    None
Based on BLS Education and Training Classifications
 
Physical Work Activity
Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials.
 
  • Physical activity is Somewhat Important
  • Level of activity is Low
Importance
Low   High
Level
Compare Occupations at O*NET
 
Job Zone
Considerable Preparation Needed
  • Specific Vocational Preparation Range
    (7.0 to < 8.0) - A typical worker will require over 2 years up to and including 4 years of training to achieve average performance in this occupation.
Based on O*Net Job Zones and SVP
 
Education Level
How much education do most people in this career have?
Education level Percent of
U.S. Workers
Doctoral or professional degree
or post-MA certificate
  0%
Master's degree or
post-BA certificate
  14%
Bachelor's degree   86%
Associate's degree   0%
Certificate or some college,
no degree
  0%
High school diploma
or equivalent
  0%
Less than high school diploma   0%
More at O*NET
 
Licensing
Vermont may require an occupational license:
Select a license for details
 
Abilities
People in this career often have talent in:
  • Deductive Reasoning
    The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning
    The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Comprehension
    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression
    The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity
    The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
More at O*NET
 
Work Activities
In general, what you might do:
  • Getting Information
    Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment
    Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
More at O*NET
 
Detailed Work Activities
What you might do in a day:
  • Coordinate safety or regulatory compliance activities.
  • Test characteristics of materials or structures.
  • Direct construction activities.
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards.
  • Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects.
More at O*NET
 
Other Resources
  • CareerOneStop
    resource for job seekers, students, businessess and career professionals
  • O*NET Online
    nation's primary source of occupational information
 
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This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

BLS

This page includes information produced in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and State Occupational Projections programs.

 
 
 
 
Vermont.gov State of Vermont Department of Labor