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Discover Civil Engineering
What Does a Civil Engineer Do?
Imagine knowing how to build a school that stays standing during an earthquake. Or designing roads that actually end traffic jams. Or working on the creation of a stadium where every fan has a great view of the action. That’s the kind of real-world impact civil engineers make every day.
Civil engineers design, plan, and build the structures that shape our lives: bridges, highways, railways, skyscrapers, tunnels, and water systems. They work to turn big ideas into reality, bringing plans to life safely and efficiently. From famous landmarks like New York’s Freedom Tower to eye-catching structures like Vietnam’s Dragon Bridge, civil engineers are the problem-solvers who make bold designs stand strong.
Meet the Change Makers Who Are Civil Engineers!
Civil Engineering Career Overview1
$141,000
Median salary2
368,900
Number of jobs in 2024
5%
Job growth over next 10 years
Civil Engineering Jobs and Education
Bachelor’s Degree
- Ensure safe drinking water by managing and designing a community’s water supply and treatment systems.
- Develop building designs for an art museum that provides state-of-the-art protection for paintings.
- Reduce airport delays by planning and designing smarter runway and taxiway systems.
- Design the structure for high-rise buildings, bridges, stadiums, and other major infrastructure.
- Evaluate building methods for disaster-resistant affordable housing.
Associate Degree
- Measure land to define property boundaries or collect topographic data for engineering designs.
- Stake out locations for structures, roads, utilities, and flood-control features.
- Help plan construction of new projects or demolition of existing structures.
High School Diploma/GED + Certification
- Turn engineering drawings into real structures by marking locations for roads, foundations, utilities, and buildings.
- Use computer software to create maps, basic designs, and technical drawings that engineers rely on.
Real World Civil Engineering Projects
Kew Gardens Interchange Reconstruction
Four major roadways converge in Queens, New York, creating a tangle so complex it earned the nicknames “The Pretzel” and “The Maze.” But today those monikers feel dated. A reconstruction project streamlined this vital gateway between Manhattan, Long Island, and two of the region’s busiest airports — completed on time, under budget, and without bringing traffic or the surrounding community to a standstill.
Sphere
Nevada’s Las Vegas Strip is packed with flashy entertainment venues, but none rival the city’s newest landmark: Sphere. Located just east of the Strip, Sphere is built from separate, layered steel and concrete structural systems. This massive building — 366 ft tall and 516 ft wide — is among the largest semi-spherical structures in the world.
Credits: Photos and projects courtesy of ASCE’s 2025 OCEA Awards.
Explore more
References:
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/civil-engineers.htm
2. American Society of Civil Engineers
https://www.asce.org/career-growth/salary-and-workforce-research