Civil Engineer Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of civil engineers to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035 (about 24,500 more jobs), with about 22,700 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $100,840 a year ranks 133rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 22,700
- Median pay
- $100,840
- Pay rank
- 133rd of 825
Is employment of civil engineers growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of civil engineers to rise 6.4% (about 24,500 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is about the same as the +6.8% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 36 architecture and engineering occupations with a projection. That change ranks 141st of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 380,600 |
| Employment, 2035 | 405,100 |
| Projected change | +6.4% |
| Openings a year | 22,700 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 380,600 jobs here differ from the 367,840 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 22,700 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 149th most of 830 occupations. About 89% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 2,450 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for civil engineers rank?
The median of $100,840 a year ranks 133rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the upper half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: bachelor's degree.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | +3.2% | 6,100 | $64,950 |
| Petroleum Engineers | +2.0% | 1,000 | $144,910 |
| Environmental Engineers | +6.3% | 2,300 | $107,110 |
| Architectural and Civil Drafters | +5.2% | 9,100 | $66,150 |
| Chemical Engineers | +4.7% | 1,100 | $125,040 |
| Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | +4.3% | 6,900 | $99,280 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | +3.8% | 300 | $106,220 |
| Industrial Engineers | +12.4% | 23,100 | $102,440 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.