Civil Engineers

Employment opportunities for civil engineers are projected to increase by 5 percent (faster than the average for all careers) from 2022 to 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). "With continued investment in U.S. infrastructure, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects that meet society's need for upgrading bridges, roads, water systems, buildings, and other structures," according to the DOL.

Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a Report Card for America’s Infrastructure. The Report Card assigns letter grades based on the physical condition and necessary investments for improvement for overall infrastructure and individual areas such as transit, wastewater, aviation, bridges, and dams. The 2021 Infrastructure Report Card gave a national grade of "C-" for infrastructure, which suggests that there is a strong need for civil engineers to help upgrade America's infrastructure. As infrastructure continues to age, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects to rebuild bridges, repair roads, and upgrade levees and dams. In addition, as the population grows, so does the need for more transportation and pollution control systems, which creates jobs for those who design and construct these systems. Innovations in green technologies will also create job opportunities. Firms providing engineering consulting services are additional sources of jobs for civil engineers. However, employment is affected by several factors, including decisions made by the federal government and state and local governments to spend public funds further on renewing and adding to the country's basic infrastructure and the health of the economy in general.

Applicants who have completed an internship or co-op program at a well-known company or government agency, who have knowledge of new standards known collectively as the Body of Knowledge, and who have a graduate degree will likely have the best job prospects.

Civil engineers are increasingly using artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and other technology to test hypotheses and design plans, save time, collaborate with off-site coworkers and customers, and accomplish other tasks. The most-successful engineers will be familiar with these and other technologies and are willing to continue to learn throughout their careers.