How to pursue a civil engineering career after college

Requirements to be a civil engineer

• Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or a civil engineering specialty. In O*NET's survey, 86% of civil engineers said a bachelor's degree is required. The BLS notes that employers prefer graduates of accredited civil engineering programs.
• Internship or co-op. The BLS notes that co-ops and internships give students practical experience while they finish the degree.
• FE exam. The Fundamentals of Engineering exam is the first step toward the PE license. Licensure is not required for entry-level civil engineers, per the BLS.
• PE license for engineers who sign off on public projects or lead a team: a bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited engineering program, a passing FE exam score, several years of relevant work experience, and a passing PE exam score.

Civil engineering job placement: where civil engineers work

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Recent civil engineering graduates place well. The New York Fed's outcomes-by-major data show a 2.3% unemployment rate and a 15.6% underemployment rate for recent civil engineering graduates, with a median early-career wage of $75,000 and a mid-career median of $115,000.

NY Fed definitions: recent graduates are ages 22 to 27; underemployment is the share working in jobs where fewer than half of workers say a bachelor's degree is necessary; wages are medians for full-time workers with a bachelor's degree only (early career 22 to 27, mid-career 35 to 45).

How to get a job in civil engineering

1. Pick a lane: design at a consulting firm, field work with a contractor, or a public agency such as a state DOT, county, or city.
2. Register for the FE exam in the term you graduate or the months after, while coursework is fresh. Put "FE exam passed" and the date on the résumé once you pass.
3. List the software you have used: O*NET names AutoCAD Civil 3D, Autodesk Revit, Bentley MicroStation, Esri ArcGIS, HEC-HMS, Oracle Primavera, and Procore.
4. Lead with the capstone. Name the project type, your role, the codes or standards you applied, and the deliverable.
5. Apply to state and local government on their own portals in addition to firm postings. Public agencies post with closing dates, so check those portals weekly.
6. Follow up five to seven business days after each application.

Civil engineering specialties and job titles

The BLS describes four main specialties:

• Construction engineers manage construction projects so they are scheduled and built according to plans and specifications.
• Geotechnical engineers make sure foundations for streets, buildings, and other structures are safe and sturdy, with a focus on how structures interact with soil and rock.
• Structural engineers design and assess major projects such as buildings, bridges, and dams.
• Transportation engineers plan, design, and maintain streets, highways, airports, mass transit systems, and harbors.

O*NET lists titles that civil engineers report holding: city engineer, county engineer, design engineer, geotechnical engineer, project engineer, and structural engineer. Search "engineer I," "EIT," "staff engineer," and "assistant engineer" with the specialty name to find entry-level postings.

How to become a construction engineer

A construction engineer starts with a civil or construction engineering degree, an internship with a general contractor, and an entry-level field engineer or project engineer role. Field engineers track submittals, requests for information, schedules, and quality checks on site. Pass the FE exam early, learn the contractor's scheduling and project software, and move toward project engineer and project manager roles. The construction management page covers the related manager track.

Civil engineering career outlook and path

The path runs from engineer I or staff engineer, to project engineer, to licensed PE, to senior engineer or project manager. The BLS notes that PEs with experience advance to supervisory roles such as city engineer, public works director, or city manager.