Career profile for Civil Engineering Technician

What does a Civil Engineering Technician do?

Civil Engineering Technicians apply 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.

What kind of tasks does a Civil Engineering Technician perform regularly?

Civil Engineering Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities using calculator or computer.
Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects and to ensure conformance to specifications.
Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.

The above responsibilities are specific to Civil Engineering Technicians. More generally, Civil Engineering Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Working with Computers		Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Processing Information		Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards		Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Working with Computers

Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Processing Information

Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

What is a Civil Engineering Technician salary?

The median salary for a Civil Engineering Technician is $54,080, and the average salary is $56,590. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Civil Engineering Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Civil Engineering Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Civil Engineering Technicians earn less than $34,230 per year, 25% earn less than $40,850, 75% earn less than $68,350, and 90% earn less than $82,960.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Civil Engineering Technicians is expected to change by 1.7%, and there should be roughly 6,500 open positions for Civil Engineering Technicians every year.

Median annual salary: $54,080
Typical salary range: $34,230 - $82,960
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 1.7%

What personality traits are common among Civil Engineering Technicians?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a Civil Engineering Technician are usually higher in their Realistic, Conventional, and Investigative interests.

Civil Engineering Technicians typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Also, Civil Engineering Technicians typically have strong Conventional interests. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Lastly, Civil Engineering Technicians typically have strong Investigative interests. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a Civil Engineering Technician tend to value Support, Independence, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Civil Engineering Technicians strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Civil Engineering Technicians moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Lastly, Civil Engineering Technicians moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Civil Engineering Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as integrity, attention to detail, and dependability.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Civil Engineering Technicians, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation		Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Cooperation

Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

What education and training do Civil Engineering Technicians need?

Civil Engineering Technicians often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Civil Engineering Technicians usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Civil Engineering Technicians

4.1% did not complete high school or secondary school
24.3% completed high school or secondary school
30.7% completed some college coursework
20.1% earned a Associate's degree
17.2% earned a Bachelor's degree
2.9% earned a Master's degree
0.8% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Civil Engineering Technicians

Civil Engineering Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as engineering and technology, mathematics, or building and construction knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Civil Engineering Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Engineering and Technology		Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Building and Construction		Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
Design		Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
Administrative		Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Building and Construction

Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Design

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Administrative

Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Important Abilities needed by Civil Engineering Technicians

Civil Engineering Technicians must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Civil Engineering Technicians need abilities such as oral comprehension, written comprehension, and deductive reasoning in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Civil Engineering Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning		The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Mathematical Reasoning		The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Mathematical Reasoning

The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Critical Skills needed by Civil Engineering Technicians

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Civil Engineering Technicians frequently use skills like critical thinking, reading comprehension, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Civil Engineering Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Mathematics		Using mathematics to solve problems.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Mathematics

Using mathematics to solve problems.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Civil Engineering Technician

Civil Engineering Technician

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