Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Associate's degree
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These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Civil engineering technologists and technicians support civil engineering projects using a blend of technical, analytical, and communication skills. Nationally, this occupation employs about 65,000 people with a median annual salary of $64,200, indicating solid earning potential for a technical role that typically requires an associate’s degree. Employment is projected to grow 2.1%, with around 6,000 annual openings, suggesting ongoing demand from both new positions and turnover. The work draws on mathematics, science, and computers and information technology, along with critical and analytical thinking and creativity and innovation. Strong writing and reading, speaking and listening, and customer service skills are also important, as is project management and adaptability. People considering this career can also explore related paths such as traffic technicians, environmental engineering technologists and technicians, engineering technologists and technicians (except drafters, all other), electrical and electronics drafters, and conservation scientists if they want to compare different technical and applied science options.
Civil engineering technologists and technicians earn a national median annual salary of $64,200. Pay varies noticeably by state and metro area. Among the top states by opportunity score, California stands out with a median salary of $83,490, followed by Washington at $79,580 and New York at $73,790. Massachusetts offers $71,350, while Colorado’s median is $59,050. At the metro level, some areas show even higher earnings. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has a median salary of $98,020, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA is close behind at $97,510. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro reports $73,790, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $79,330, and Boston-Cambridge-Newton $69,430. These figures highlight that moving from the national level to certain states and metros can significantly change earning potential, especially in the highest-paying California metro areas.
Civil engineering technologists and technicians have a national employment base of about 65,000 workers. Employment is projected to grow 2.1%, and the occupation is expected to generate about 6,000 annual openings. The combination of existing employment size and steady projected growth suggests a consistent flow of opportunities, both from new job creation and from people changing jobs or leaving the workforce. The same 2.1% projected growth rate appears in the top states and metro areas listed, indicating alignment between national and local growth expectations where opportunity scores are strongest. For job seekers, this means the field offers ongoing prospects across the country rather than being limited to a small number of locations. People evaluating stability and future potential can view the employment count, growth rate, and annual openings together as indicators that this occupation is expected to continue offering viable entry points over time.
Location plays a meaningful role in shaping opportunities for civil engineering technologists and technicians. Among states, California has the highest opportunity score (67.38), with a median salary of $83,490 and employment of 7,250. New York and Massachusetts also rank highly, with opportunity scores of 65.78 and 65.87, respectively, and median salaries above $70,000. Washington offers a median salary of $79,580 and an opportunity score of 56.29, while Colorado’s salary is $59,050 with an opportunity score of 56.97. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads with an opportunity score of 77.42 and a median salary of $98,020. The New York-Newark-Jersey City metro is close in score at 77.27, with a $73,790 median salary. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA combines a $97,510 median salary with an opportunity score of 68.75. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria and Boston-Cambridge-Newton also offer strong scores and solid pay, showing that several metros provide particularly attractive combinations of wages and opportunity.
The typical education requirement for civil engineering technologists and technicians is an associate’s degree. This makes the career accessible to people who want a postsecondary technical path without committing to a longer degree. Success in this occupation relies on a balanced skill set that includes mathematics and science, along with strong abilities in computers and information technology. Critical and analytical thinking, paired with creativity and innovation, supports problem-solving and technical work. Solid writing and reading skills, as well as speaking and listening, help with communicating information clearly. Project management and adaptability are also important, suggesting that technologists and technicians may need to coordinate tasks and adjust to changing project needs. Customer service skills indicate interaction with clients, colleagues, or other stakeholders. Together, these skills align well with an applied technical education at the associate’s level, preparing individuals for the analytical, technical, and interpersonal aspects of the role.
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