All careersEngineering & science

Civil Engineering Technician

$64,200
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Help engineers plan and build roads, bridges, and buildings by testing materials and reviewing plans.

Where you work

Offices and construction sites.

The hours

Full-time, with some field work

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$64,200
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~5,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
64,900
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Associate degree

Training path: Associate degree.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

What it takes

CAD softwareMaterial testingBlueprint readingMath skills

The honest take

An associate-degree way into infrastructure work without the full engineering degree.

Standard Occupational Classification 17-3022. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.