Civil Engineering
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Types of Degrees Civil Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many civil engineering graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 15,193 |
Master’s Degree | 4,884 |
Doctor’s Degree | 1,086 |
Associate Degree | 127 |
Graduate Certificate | 72 |
Basic Certificate | 26 |
What Civil Engineering Majors Need to Know
O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to civil eng and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.
Knowledge Areas for Civil Eng Majors
According to O*NET survey takers, a major in civil eng should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:
- 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.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
Skills for Civil Eng Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to civil eng:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- 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.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Abilities for Civil Eng Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a civil eng student include the following:
- 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.
- 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.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Civil Engineering Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with civil eng:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Biochemical Engineers | 6.4% | $96,980 |
Civil Engineers | 10.6% | $86,640 |
Energy Engineers | 6.4% | $96,980 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Environmental Engineers | 8.4% | $87,620 |
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 8.2% | $92,250 |
Petroleum Engineers | 15.1% | $137,170 |
Transportation Engineers | 10.6% | $86,640 |
Water/Wastewater Engineers | 8.4% | $87,620 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of civil eng majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 1,249 |
Black or African American | 670 |
Hispanic or Latino | 2,437 |
White | 8,482 |
International Students | 1,424 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 931 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Civil Eng, too. About 9.4% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- Saudi Arabia
- Iran
- Kuwait
How Much Do Civil Engineering Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering made a median starting salary of $61,387 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $58,467 (25th percentile) and $63,610 (75th percentile).
One thing to note here is that not all of these people may be working in careers related to civil eng.
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $93,720 to $148,970 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to civil eng. 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 Civil Engineering
Some careers associated with civil eng require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to civil eng have obtained the following education levels.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
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) | 1.2% |
Some College Courses | 0.0% |
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 0.7% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 61.8% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 6.7% |
Master’s Degree | 18.9% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 1.8% |
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 1.5% |
Doctoral Degree | 6.7% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 1.1% |
Online Civil Engineering Programs
In the 2020-2021 academic year, 316 schools offered some type of civil engineering 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) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 3 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 22 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 52 | 11 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 241 | 21 |
Post-Master’s | 12 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 148 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Civil Engineering Worth It?
The median salary for a civil eng grad is $99,410 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 149% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,190,200 after 20 years!
Top Ranking Lists for Civil Engineering
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Majors Related to Civil Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to civil eng.
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 Master Sgt. Roger Parsons under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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