Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Also called: Civil Engineering Technician, Engineer Technician, Engineering Assistant, Engineering TechnicianApply 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 9 of its 14 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 3.2% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 54% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $52,750 | $43,430 to $65,610 | 1,800 |
| Alaska | $70,990 | $58,070 to $86,640 | 230 |
| Arizona | $63,560 | $48,420 to $77,150 | 1,050 |
| Arkansas | $51,750 | $38,950 to $60,480 | not published |
| California | $83,490 | $65,610 to $101,790 | 7,250 |
| Colorado | $59,050 | $48,100 to $75,570 | 1,820 |
| Connecticut | $73,430 | $58,010 to $89,910 | 330 |
| Delaware | $62,120 | $45,680 to $68,970 | 350 |
| Florida | $63,410 | $49,060 to $77,560 | 4,030 |
| Georgia | $50,360 | $41,550 to $65,030 | 3,840 |
| Guam | $37,230 | $31,200 to $52,040 | 30 |
| Hawaii | $64,410 | $52,000 to $72,550 | 120 |
| Idaho | $63,200 | $48,080 to $75,730 | 440 |
| Illinois | $79,190 | $62,390 to $99,820 | 4,190 |
| Indiana | $64,390 | $49,030 to $78,240 | 1,040 |
| Iowa | $72,540 | $60,670 to $80,950 | 1,130 |
| Kansas | $59,440 | $45,030 to $72,660 | 1,060 |
| Kentucky | $59,710 | $58,610 to $72,230 | 1,860 |
| Louisiana | $68,030 | $56,400 to $80,870 | 410 |
| Maine | $67,540 | $60,280 to $75,960 | 290 |
| Maryland | $62,760 | $55,930 to $74,360 | 620 |
| Massachusetts | $71,350 | $60,790 to $86,030 | 680 |
| Michigan | $57,990 | $47,130 to $76,740 | 2,930 |
| Minnesota | $78,690 | $71,490 to $90,890 | 2,030 |
| Mississippi | $46,430 | $36,840 to $58,530 | 800 |
| Missouri | $61,350 | $49,160 to $74,190 | 1,300 |
| Montana | $61,410 | $48,670 to $76,190 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $66,590 | $57,030 to $81,780 | 370 |
| Nevada | $74,810 | $51,920 to $90,680 | 800 |
| New Hampshire | $64,480 | $58,660 to $74,090 | 300 |
| New Jersey | $70,650 | $49,950 to $81,270 | 760 |
| New Mexico | $62,440 | $54,230 to $73,890 | 710 |
| New York | $73,790 | $60,190 to $87,020 | 1,710 |
| North Carolina | $58,700 | $47,870 to $69,170 | 2,760 |
| North Dakota | $65,030 | $58,820 to $76,970 | 400 |
| Ohio | $64,730 | $53,360 to $79,460 | 1,790 |
| Oklahoma | $60,050 | $51,150 to $76,180 | 400 |
| Oregon | $85,390 | $77,030 to $97,970 | 970 |
| Pennsylvania | $63,650 | $56,800 to $77,460 | 2,290 |
| Puerto Rico | $42,390 | $37,920 to $43,620 | 390 |
| Rhode Island | $63,650 | $57,390 to $72,120 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $53,710 | $46,360 to $65,540 | 1,480 |
| South Dakota | $60,880 | $52,860 to $68,080 | 460 |
| Tennessee | $57,270 | $47,640 to $69,470 | 1,650 |
| Texas | $59,390 | $46,800 to $77,740 | 4,470 |
| Utah | $64,490 | $51,160 to $79,870 | 630 |
| Vermont | $74,100 | $64,770 to $81,520 | 200 |
| Virginia | $67,100 | $54,580 to $79,760 | 1,480 |
| Washington | $79,580 | $64,430 to $93,640 | 2,090 |
| West Virginia | $53,340 | $42,240 to $65,580 | 520 |
| Wisconsin | $73,970 | $61,990 to $80,350 | 1,560 |
| Wyoming | $56,150 | $47,070 to $66,510 | 300 |
Nationally: $64,950. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 9 of its 14 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer. | Not published |
| Not much | Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions. | Not published |
| AI alone | Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Prepare reports and document project activities and data. | 0.05% |
| AI + software | Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings. | Not published |
See all 14 tasks
| Not much | Inspect project site and evaluate contractor work to detect design malfunctions and ensure conformance to design specifications and applicable codes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Develop plans and estimate costs for installation of systems, utilization of facilities, or construction of structures. | Not published |
| Not much | Plan and conduct field surveys to locate new sites and analyze details of project sites. | Not published |
| AI + software | Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct materials test and analysis, using tools and equipment and applying engineering knowledge. | Not published |
| AI alone | Respond to public suggestions and complaints. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Develop project budgets by estimating the cost of project activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Negotiate with contractors on prices for new contracts or modifications to existing contracts. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 4 of the 14 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 14 tasks fall under 14 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #3 Respond to customer problems or inquiries
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #14 Create visual designs or displays
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create visual designs or displays | |||
| Respond to customer problems or inquiries | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Communicate with others about specifications or project details | |||
| Plan work activities | |||
| Coordinate with others to resolve problems | |||
| Determine resource needs of projects or operations | |||
| Estimate project development or operational costs |
Show all 14 activities
| Prepare reports of operational or procedural activities | |||
| Manage budgets or finances | |||
| Assess characteristics of land or property | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Inspect facilities or equipment | |||
| Negotiate contracts or agreements |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report74%
- An email or message7%
- Data or a spreadsheet6%
- An analysis or summary3%
- A chart or visualization1%
How they worked with Claude
84% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for civil engineering technologists and technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 4,668 moves out
- 1 Construction and Building Inspectors High +0.0% 6%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Architectural and Engineering Managers High +5.5% 4%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 5 Civil Engineers High +6.4% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 4,961 moves in
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
- 2 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 6%
- 3 Construction and Building Inspectors High +0.0% 5%
- 4 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 4%
- 5 Civil Engineers High +6.4% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 3% high school
- 30% postsecondary certificate
- 28% some college
- 21% associate's
- 18% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 36 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 25% high school
- 30% some college
- 18% associate's
- 18% bachelor's
- 4% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters” · 4,846 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters”
5 programs, such as Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General, Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians and Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians.
See all
- Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General
- Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians
- Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
- Building Construction Technology/Technician
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
83.3% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 5.6% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (Civil Engineering Technician (NOF)). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/17-3022.00