Construction Engineering

Types of Degrees Construction Engineering Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many construction engineering technology graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	2,160
Associate’s Degree	624
Basic Certificate	281
Undergraduate Certificate	250
Master’s Degree	181
Doctor’s Degree	1

What Construction Engineering Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, construction engineering tech majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Construction Engineering Tech Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to construction engineering tech:

• 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

A major in construction engineering tech will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• 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?

People with a construction engineering tech degree often go into the following careers:

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 2,160 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology in 2018, making it rank #125 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 90% 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	56
Black or African American	132
Hispanic or Latino	389
White	1,382
International Students	97
Other Races/Ethnicities	104

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Construction Engineering Tech. About 4.5% 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

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology 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 the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 2017-2018 academic year, 152 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)	41	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	37	2
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	85	5
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	41	0
Master’s Degree	10	5
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	14,418
Drafting & Design Engineering Technology	10,842
Electromechanical Engineering Technology	10,032
Electronics Engineering Technology	9,880
Environmental Control Technology	9,388
Mechanical Engineering Technology	7,628
Engineering-Related Fields	6,673
Quality Control Technology	4,467
Computer Engineering Technology	4,406
General Engineering Technology	4,049
Engineering Technology (Other)	1,906
Civil Engineering Technology	1,526
Architectural Engineering Technology	1,236
Mining & Petroleum Technology	976
Engineering-Related Technologies	859
Nuclear Engineering Technology	318
Nanotechnology	152

References

• 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.