Occupation salary profile

Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

SOC 17-3022 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Apply theory and principles of civil engineering in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of structures and facilities under the direction of engineering staff or physical scientists.

National median · BLS
$64,950
▲ +1.17% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$64,646
▲ +1.91% YoY · 20 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$68,990
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
68,520
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 20 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$44,220$55,332
25th$51,490$59,680
Median (50th)$64,950$64,646
75th$80,650$77,002
90th — top pay$98,980$88,702
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $64,646 for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians — 0.5% below the BLS national median of $64,950.

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

BLS projects employment of civil engineering technologists and technicians to grow 3.2% from 2025 to 2035, about the same as the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 6,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
70,900 → 73,200
+2,300 jobs
Projected change
+3.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
6,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Associate's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need an associate's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $64,646
Change vs prior year +1.91%
After inflation (CPI-U) -1.18%
Skills & tools

Skills needed for Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.9
  • Active Listening3.8
  • Reading Comprehension3.8
  • Mathematics3.6
  • Speaking3.4
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Writing3.3
  • Complex Problem Solving3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Coordination3.0
Top knowledge areas
  • Engineering and Technology4.5
  • Mathematics4.2
  • Building and Construction4.2
  • Design4.2
  • Administrative3.6
  • Administration and Management3.6
  • Computers and Electronics3.5
  • Customer and Personal Service3.5
Software and technology used
Autodesk AutoCADAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DBentley MicroStationESRI ArcGIS softwareMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookGeographic information system GIS systemsAutodesk RevitMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Visual BasicMicrosoft WordSAP softwareAutodesk Land DesktopBentley Systems InRoads SuiteComputer aided design and drafting software CADDCoordinate geometry COGO softwareDigital terrain modeling software

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What civil engineering technologists and technicians do

  • Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer.
  • Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
  • Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications.
  • Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
  • Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
  • Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
  • Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.
  • Inspect project site and evaluate contractor work to detect design malfunctions and ensure conformance to design specifications and applicable codes.
Also called
Civil Engineering TechnicianEngineer TechnicianEngineering AssistantEngineering TechnicianCivil DesignerCivil Engineering AssistantDesign TechnicianTransportation Engineering Technician
More job titles for this occupation (23)
Bridge Construction InspectorCADD Technician (Computer-Aided Design and Drafting Technician)Civil Engineer HelperCivil Engineer's AideCivil Engineering TechnologistCivil Technician (Civil Tech)Concrete Engineering TechnicianConstruction Engineering Technician (Construction Engineering Tech)Construction Field AssistantConstruction Field Technician (Construction Field Tech)Drafting TechnicianEngineer AssistantEngineering TechnologistField TechnicianFire Protection Engineering TechnicianGeotechnical Engineering TechnicianHighway Construction InspectorHighway Engineering TechnicianHighway TechnicianParking AnalystSprinkler Design TechnicianStructural Engineering TechnicianStructural Technician

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.