Civil Engineering graduates earn $86,517 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $73,883 and $101,174. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Civil Engineering as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Engineering and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Civil Engineering is a focused area of study within Engineering. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $86,517 four years out, a strong return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 326 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 20,728 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework leans technical and quantitative, with lab or project work common.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$69,424
Median Earnings · 4yr
$86,517
Colleges Offering
326
Graduates / Year
20,728
Avg Net Price / yr
$16,509
How Much Do Civil Engineering Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Civil Engineering, a typical graduate earns $86,517, well above average for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $73,883 and $101,174, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings grow steadily as you advance past entry-level roles. The four-year figure is a better long-term target.
$86,517
4-Year National Median
Well above average for college graduates.
$85,076
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Civil Engineering graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Sector is the biggest factor. Tech companies and finance firms tend to pay significantly more than government, education, or nonprofit employers in this field.
$73,88325th pct.
$86,517Median
$101,17475th pct.
Why This Program Pays Off Fast
Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $86,517 against an estimated $66,036 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.
Based on outcomes from 313 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 20,728 students who complete Civil Engineering programs each year, the majority (69%) earn a bachelor's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
69%24%
Bachelor's69%
Master's24%
Doctorate6%
What Can You Do With a Civil Engineering Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Civil Engineering graduates show up in 6 different occupations, and Architectural & Engineering Manager pays the most at $171,270/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingSystems AnalysisSystems Evaluation
Day-to-day responsibilities
Devise methods to improve oil and gas extraction and production and determine the need for new or modified tool designs. Oversee drilling and offer technical advice.
Specify and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery.
Monitor production rates, and plan rework processes to improve production.
Maintain records of drilling and production operations.
Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Active ListeningWritingSpeakingCritical ThinkingMonitoring
Day-to-day responsibilities
Research, design, plan, or perform engineering duties in the prevention, control, and remediation of environmental hazards using various engineering disciplines. Work may include waste treatment, site remediation, or pollution control technology.
Design, or supervise the design of, systems, processes, or equipment for control, management, or remediation of water, air, or soil quality.
Assess the existing or potential environmental impact of land use projects on air, water, or land.
Collaborate with environmental scientists, planners, hazardous waste technicians, engineers, experts in law or business, or other specialists to address environmental problems.
Complex Problem SolvingReading ComprehensionWritingSpeakingCritical Thinking
Day-to-day responsibilities
Conduct subsurface surveys to identify the characteristics of potential land or mining development sites. May specify the ground support systems, processes, and equipment for safe, economical, and environmentally sound extraction or underground construction activities. May inspect areas for unsafe geological conditions, equipment, and working conditions. May design, implement, and coordinate mine safety programs.
Prepare technical reports for use by mining, engineering, and management personnel.
Inspect mining areas for unsafe structures, equipment, and working conditions.
Select or develop mineral location, extraction, and production methods, based on factors such as safety, cost, and deposit characteristics.
Judgment and Decision MakingReading ComprehensionWritingCritical ThinkingSpeaking
Day-to-day responsibilities
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
Top Colleges for Civil Engineering
Not sure where to study Civil Engineering? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Civil Engineering graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Engineering Programs
Civil Engineering is not the only path through Engineering: 37 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Civil Engineering program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Strong earnings and positive career growth make Civil Engineering a solid option. The 4 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are data-sourced from College Scorecard, BLS, and IPEDS.
PROS
Strong median salaryGraduates earn $86,517 nationally four years out, placing this field above most degree programs in the country.
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +7.8% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 45,100 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
High upside potentialTop earners (75th percentile) in this program reach $101,174, a strong ceiling for high performers.
CONS
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
$86,517 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $73,883 and $101,174, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for a Civil Engineering degree?
$69,424 in the first year out. That grows to $86,517 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with a Civil Engineering degree?
Architectural & Engineering Manager is one path, and it pays a median of $171,270 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does a Civil Engineering program take?
Four years of full-time study for a Civil Engineering bachelor's degree, the standard timeline for this field. If you want a faster route into the workforce, community colleges offer a two-year associate option instead.
How many colleges offer Civil Engineering?
326 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is a Civil Engineering degree worth it?
$86,517 median earnings four years out against $16,509 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Civil Engineering and Engineering?
Civil Engineering is the narrower of the two: Engineering covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Civil Engineering-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Civil Engineering graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Civil Engineering graduates consistently look for analytical thinking, technical proficiency, and data interpretation. Employers typically prioritize candidates who can demonstrate hands-on project or internship experience alongside their coursework. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
Is graduate school worth it for Civil Engineering graduates?
Usually worth considering. A master's in a STEM field can accelerate advancement into research, leadership, or senior engineering roles, and often adds $15,000 to $40,000 in long-term earning potential depending on specialization. Weigh that against your own career goals, the program's cost, and whether your target role actually rewards the advanced credential.
What is the job outlook for Civil Engineering graduates?
Outlook is moderate overall: related occupations average +5.3% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Engineering Teachers are among the strongest-growth roles at +7.8%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
Related Engineering Programs
Other programs in Engineering. Compare earnings, credentials, and career paths before committing to a specialization.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How Long Does It Take to Become a Civil Engineer?
A civil engineering career has three real timelines, not one. Here is how long each stage takes, what the job involves, and what it pays along the way.
A decision framework for picking a college major using your interests, aptitudes, and federal earnings data to reach a defensible choice before applying.
Yes, most schools allow it, but the schedule math rarely works without either overlapping requirements or extra time. Here's when it actually fits in four years.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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Highest paying majors
Job growth
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Field of study
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A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Engineering tech
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STEM Is Not One Thing: The Pay Gap Within STEM
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
STEM earnings
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Major choice
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