---

Construction Engineering

Types of Degrees Construction Engineering Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Construction Engineering may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	186
Associate’s Degree	774
Bachelor’s Degree	2,893
Master’s Degree	1,216
Doctor’s Degree	11

What Construction Engineering Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Construction Engineering emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Building and Construction — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Engineering and Technology — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Construction Engineering program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Construction Engineering careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Construction Engineering graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Construction Engineering professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Autodesk Revit	Computer aided design CAD software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Autodesk AutoCAD	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Computer aided design and drafting software CADD	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D	Computer aided design CAD software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Construction Engineering graduates include:

• Commercial Construction Superintendent
• Construction Services Manager
• Concrete Foreman
• Bridges and Buildings Supervisor
• Environmental Construction Program Manager
• Project Superintendent
• Construction Foreman
• Commercial Superintendent
• Solar Commercial Installation Electrician Manager
• Site Manager
• Maintenance of Way Superintendent (MOW Superintendent)
• Street Supervisor
• General Superintendent
• Masonry Contractor Administrator (Masonry Construction Admin)
• Job Superintendent

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.8%
Postsecondary certificate	16.2%
Some college courses	13.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	9.9%
Master’s degree	3.6%
Less than a high school diploma	2.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Construction Engineering?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.5% of Construction Engineering degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	840	16.5%
Men	4,249	83.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,472	48.6%
Asian	149	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,222	24.0%
Black or African American	293	5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.1%
Two or More Races	140	2.8%
Race Unknown	170	3.3%
International Students	617	12.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Construction Engineering Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Construction Engineering graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$73,240
4 years	$83,841
5 years	$94,183

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $94,183 — roughly 29% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Construction Engineering Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Construction Engineering. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	6	3
Bachelor’s	4	3
Master’s	8	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Construction Engineering Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Construction Engineering graduates earn a median of $83,841 four years after completion — roughly 121% 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
Engineering Technologies	15
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.01
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.02
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.12
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.13
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	15.03
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	15.04
Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians	15.17
Engineering-Related Fields	15.15
Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	15.11
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other	15.99
ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	15.00

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.