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

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

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in construction engineering tech should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• 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

A major in construction engineering tech prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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 2,391 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology in 2019, making it rank #124 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 89% of recent graduates are men.

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

Students from other countries are interested in Construction Engineering Tech, too. 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

According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering tech have a median salary of $60,900 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $55,900 (25th percentile) and $65,300 (75th percentile).

One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers 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 careers associated with construction engineering tech require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

• 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.