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Civil Engineering Technology

Types of Degrees Civil Engineering Technology Majors Are Earning

Those studying Civil Engineering Technology have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	71
Associate’s Degree	622
Bachelor’s Degree	267
Master’s Degree	169

What Civil Engineering Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Civil Engineering Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Civil Engineering Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Civil Engineering Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Transportation — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Civil Engineering Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Complex Problem Solving — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Civil Engineering Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Civil Engineering Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.7 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.7 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Civil Engineering Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Bentley MicroStation	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Traffic control software	Industrial control software	—
Dowling Associates TRAFFIX	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Civil Engineering Technology graduates include:

• Traffic Specialist
• Traffic Analyst
• Traffic Management Specialist
• Survey Field Technician
• Transportation Technician
• Traffic Survey Technician
• Traffic Investigator
• Transportation Planning Technician
• Traffic Control Laborer
• Permit Technician
• Collection Technician
• Traffic Engineering Technician
• Sign Technician
• Traffic Monitor Specialist
• Radar Signal Processing Engineers

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Civil Engineering Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	32.8%
Some college courses	24.4%
Postsecondary certificate	14.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	14.7%
Bachelor’s degree	13.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Civil Engineering Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85% of Civil Engineering Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	170	15.0%
Men	962	85.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Civil Engineering Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	736	65.0%
Asian	51	4.5%
Hispanic or Latino	169	14.9%
Black or African American	94	8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.7%
Two or More Races	23	2.0%
Race Unknown	24	2.1%
International Students	27	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Civil Engineering Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Civil Engineering Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$61,601
4 years	$68,104
5 years	$73,200

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $73,200 — roughly 19% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Civil Engineering Technology Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Civil Engineering Technology graduates earn a median of $68,104 four years after completion — roughly 79% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.02
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.0101
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	15.1001
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	15.0000

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.