Construction Engineering

Types of Degrees Construction Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many construction engineering technology graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	2,391
Associate’s Degree	659
Basic Certificate	342
Undergraduate Certificate	244
Master’s Degree	177
Doctor’s Degree	6
Graduate Certificate	5

What Construction Engineering Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to construction engineering tech were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Construction Engineering Tech Majors

Construction Engineering Tech majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• 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.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Skills for Construction Engineering Tech Majors

When studying construction engineering tech, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• 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.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Abilities for Construction Engineering Tech Majors

Construction Engineering Tech majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

What Can You Do With a Construction Engineering Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with construction engineering tech:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Civil Engineering Technicians	8.9%	$52,580
Construction Managers	11.1%	$93,370
Cost Estimators	10.5%	$64,040

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Engineering?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 2,391 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology in 2019, making it rank #124 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 89% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of construction engineering tech majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	59
Black or African American	158
Hispanic or Latino	453
White	1,505
International Students	95
Other Races/Ethnicities	121

Geographic Diversity

Construction Engineering Tech appeals to people across the globe. About 4.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• India
• Saudi Arabia
• China
• Nigeria
• Venezuela

How Much Do Construction Engineering Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that construction engineering technology students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $60,900 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $55,900 (25th percentile) and $65,300 (75th percentile).

It is possible that some of these people may have taken positions that were not related to construction engineering tech.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $54,670 to $103,110 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to construction engineering tech. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Construction Engineering

Some degrees associated with construction engineering tech may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for construction engineering tech careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	2.4%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	16.6%
Some College Courses	15.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	11.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	47.8%
Master’s Degree	6.0%

Online Construction Engineering Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 160 schools offered some type of construction engineering technology program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	42	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	37	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	86	6
Bachelor’s Degree	3	0
Post-Baccalaureate	42	1
Master’s Degree	12	6
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Construction Engineering Worth It?

The median salary for a construction engineering tech grad is $69,710 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 75% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $596,200 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Construction Engineering

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to construction engineering tech.

Major	Number of Grads
Industrial Production Technology	14,313
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	10,756
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,702
Environmental Control Technology	10,042
Electronics Engineering Technology	9,875
Mechanical Engineering Technology	7,772
Engineering-Related Fields	5,997
Quality Control Technology	4,315
General Engineering Technology	4,212
Computer Engineering Technology	4,180
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,786
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,362
Civil Engineering Technology	1,357
Engineering-Related Technologies	840
Mining & Petroleum Technology	705
Nuclear Engineering Technology	388
Nanotechnology	123

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Pixabay under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.