+5%Growth 2024–34
7Traits it runs on
EngineeringFamily
What the work is worth. A civil engineer's work is what a community stands on: the bridge that holds, the levee that does not fail, the water that is safe to drink.
An ordinary day. Design and oversee roads, bridges, water systems, and buildings; review plans, visit sites, work with contractors and agencies, and sign off on public safety.
The path in. Bachelor's in civil engineering; Professional Engineer license for approving public work.
From zero. The STEM Farm Engineering Technology / CAD / Civil / Construction Tech track starts at zero-STEM intake and ends in this kind of work, with verified proof at every gate.
Take the STEM Compass assessmentZero to Civil Engineer →
The personality behind the work
- Practicality. You are drawn to building functional things — physical or digital — that work in the real world.
- Spatial Reasoning. You picture three-dimensional objects, measurements, and physical forces easily.
- Collaboration. You work well inside large teams with strict deadlines and shared ownership.
- Detail Orientation. You remember complex facts and catch small errors before they become large ones.
- Meticulousness. You record exact notes and follow strict procedures without being told to.
- Leadership & Initiative. You take charge, set direction, and want responsibility for outcomes beyond your own tasks.
- Communication. You can turn a complex finding into a clear story for people who do not share your training.
This role rewards people who want a defined routine and a known right answer; the assessment measures that directly as ambiguity tolerance.
Other careers in Engineering
Aerospace Engineer+6%Chemical Engineer+3%Electrical Engineer+7%Environmental Engineer+4%Industrial Engineer+11%Marine Engineer & Naval Architect+6%Mechanical Engineer+9%
Civil Engineer by labor market
Every commuting zone in the country, biggest first. Each page carries that market's real economy and the counties inside it.
Newark, NJNew York, NYLos Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim, CAChicago, ILDallas, TXFort Worth, TXHouston, TXAtlanta, GAWashington, DCMiami, FLPhiladelphia, PAPhoenix–Mesa–Scottsdale, AZBoston, MA–NHSan Francisco–Oakland, CADetroit, MISeattle–Tacoma, WAMinneapolis, MNTampa–St. Petersburg, FLSan Diego, CADenver–Aurora, COOrlando, FLCharlotte, NC–SCBaltimore, MDSt. Louis, MOSan Antonio, TXAustin, TXPortland, OR–WASacramento, CAPittsburgh, PALas Vegas–Henderson–Paradise, NVCincinnati, OH–KYKansas City, MO–KSColumbus, OHIndianapolis, INNashville-Davidson, TNMurfreesboro, TNCleveland, OHSan Jose, CAVirginia Beach, VANewport News, VAJacksonville, FLProvidence, RI–MARaleigh, NCMilwaukee, WIOklahoma City, OKLouisville/Jefferson County, KY–INRichmond, VAMemphis, TN–MS–ARSalt Lake City, UTFresno, CABirmingham, ALGrand Rapids, MIHartford, CTBuffalo, NYTucson, AZTulsa, OKRochester, NYGreenville, SCOmaha, NE–IANew Orleans, LAKnoxville, TNBradenton–Sarasota–Venice, FLBakersfield, CAAlbuquerque, NMMcAllen, TXAlbany–Schenectady, NYCharleston, SCBaton Rouge, LAAllentown–Bethlehem, PA–NJEl Paso, TX–NMColumbia, SCCape Coral, FLLakeland, FLBoise City, IDDayton, OHStockton, CAColorado Springs, COLittle Rock, ARDes Moines, IADaytona Beach–Palm Coast–Port Orange, FLWinston-Salem, NCMadison, WIWichita, KSSyracuse, NYAugusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), GAFayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR–MOHarrisburg, PAJackson, MSSpokane, WAToledo, OH–MIChattanooga, TN–GAReno, NV–CAPortland, MEScranton, PAPort St. Lucie, FLHuntsville, ALPensacola, FL–ALLexington-Fayette, KYKilleen, TXSpringfield, MOWilmington, NCLansing, MIFort Wayne, INSpringfield, MA–CTSanta Barbara, CASavannah, GABrownsville, TXNashua, NH–MAGulfport–Biloxi, MSMyrtle Beach–North Myrtle Beach, SC–NCLafayette, LAYoungstown, OHAsheville, NCMobile, ALSpartanburg, SCAnchorage, AKCanton, OHTrenton, NJTallahassee, FLFayetteville, NCMontgomery, ALShreveport, LAEugene, ORDavenport, IA–ILFort Collins, COHickory, NCLubbock, TXHuntington, WV–KY–OHPeoria, ILGainesville, FLLincoln, NEClarksville, TN–KYRockford, ILGreen Bay, WIColumbus, GA–ALSouth Bend, IN–MIKennewick–Richland–Pasco, WARoanoke, VASioux Falls, SDLongview, TXCollege Station–Bryan, TXTuscaloosa, ALDuluth, MN–WICedar Rapids, IAAmarillo, TXEvansville, INFargo, ND–MNLynchburg, VABend, ORErie, PAKalamazoo, MIYakima, WAPrescott–Prescott Valley, AZTyler, TXAppleton, WILake Charles, LABinghamton, NYChampaign, ILFort Smith, AR–OKTopeka, KSRochester, MNPanama City–Panama City Beach, FLCharlottesville, VALafayette, INBurlington, VTGainesville, GAYuma, AZ–CAAthens-Clarke County, GAMonroe, LAMedford, ORColumbia, MOJacksonville, NCJohnson City, TNSt. George, UTJoplin, MOWarner Robins, GASpringfield, ILSt. Cloud, MNCharleston, WVHouma, LABowling Green, KYDover, DEBillings, MTCoeur d'Alene, IDSaginaw, MIBurlington, NCAbilene, TXJackson, TNGreenville, NCRedding, CAEau Claire, WIIdaho Falls, IDOdessa, TXLa Crosse, WI–MNTerre Haute, INWaterloo, IABloomington, INGrand Junction, COLogan, UTKahului–Wailuku, HIJackson, MIHattiesburg, MSBangor, MEState College, PATraverse City–Garfield, MIRapid City, SDDothan, ALValdosta, GAWichita Falls, TXRocky Mount, NCAlexandria, LADalton, GATexarkana, TX–ARSioux City, IA–NE–SDAlbany, GAMorgantown, WVHarrisonburg, VABismarck, NDJonesboro, ARWausau, WIManhattan, KSMorristown, TNBozeman, MTMissoula, MTElizabethtown–Radcliff, KYWenatchee, WAPittsfield, MAAmes, IAMansfield, OHTwin Falls, IDSan Angelo, TXFarmington, NMAltoona, PASt. Joseph, MO–KSBrunswick–St. Simons, GASheboygan, WIAnniston–Oxford, ALOwensboro, KYMuncie, INSandusky–Port Clinton, OHWilliamsport, PASteubenville–Weirton, OH–WV–PAWatertown, NYBeckley, WVKankakee, ILGrand Forks, ND–MNMankato, MNGadsden, ALCheyenne, WYPaducah, KY–ILLima, OHVictoria, TXHot Springs, ARDubuque, IA–ILDecatur, ILCape Girardeau, MO–ILFairbanks, AKPocatello, IDParkersburg, WV–OHColumbus, INGreat Falls, MTCasper, WYElmira, NYGrand Island, NEMinot, NDLewiston, ID–WAEnid, OKEagle Pass, TXTupelo, MSKearney, NEArdmore, OKCookeville, TNLebanon, NH–VTLeesburg, VAMarion–Herrin, ILMason City, IAOttumwa, IAWillmar, MNClovis, NMMeridian, MSMilledgeville, GAPikeville, KYPine Bluff, ARRichmond, KYRoanoke Rapids, NCAlexandria, MNBardstown, KYCreston, IADublin, GAFarmville, VAGranite City, ILHazard, KYHelena-West Helena, ARHenderson, KYHilton Head Island, SCMarion, VAMcComb, MSMount Sterling, KYQuincy, ILSnyder, TXStarkville, MSTifton, GAYonkers, NYAlamosa, COBartlesville, OKBrainerd, MNBrookings, SDBrownwood, TXBurlington, IA–ILColumbia, TNCumberland, MD–WV–PADickinson, NDElko, NVFarmington, MOFredericksburg, VAGarden City, KSGreendale–Lawrenceburg–Hidden Valley, IN–OHGreenville, MSGreenville, TXHays, KSHoughton Lake, MIKirksville, MOLake City, FLLas Vegas, NMMilbank, SDMitchell, SDNorfolk, NENorth Platte, NEOxford, MSRice Lake, WISafford, AZSedalia, MOTallulah, LAWaynesville, NCWest Plains, MOAberdeen, SDAlliance, NEAmericus, GABatesville, ARBluefield, WV–VABradford, PA–NYCadillac, MICentralia, ILChamberlain, SDColumbus, NEDe Queen, ARDodge City, KSDouglas, GADumas, TXEdwards–Avon, COEvanston, WYFindlay, OHFort Leonard Wood–St. Robert–Waynesville, MOGermantown, MDGraham, TXHammond, INHastings, NEHutchinson, KSMarinette–Menominee, WI–MIMaysville, KY–OHMcCook, NENatchez, MS–LAO'Neill, NEOlney, ILOrd, NEPlainview, TXPortsmouth, OH–KYSomerset, KYStorm Lake, IAWarrenton–New Baltimore, VAWashington, NCWilliston, NDWorthington, MNYankton, SDAlice, TXAlpena, MIAltus, OKAndalusia, ALAndrews, NCAthens, OHBeloit, KSBoone, NCBowman, NDBroken Bow, NECarrington, NDChillicothe, MOColby, KSConcordia, KSDanville, KYDenison, IAEl Dorado, ARElkins, WVEmporia, KSFalls City, NEFort Dodge, IAGallup, NMGlasgow, KYGrafton, NDGreenwood, MSGuymon, OKHarrisburg, ILJamestown, NDLamar, COLiberal, KSLisbon, NDLufkin, TXMarquette, MIMcAlester, OKMexia, TXMiami, OKMoberly, MOMobridge, SDMuskogee, OKNacogdoches, TXNebraska City, NEOsceola, IAOtsego, MNPampa, TXParsons, KSPierre, SDPlatteville, WIPlattsburgh, NYPoplar Bluff, MOPratt, KSRichfield, UTSalina, KSScott City, KSSidney, NESioux Center, IASpirit Lake, IASterling, COTappahannock, VAThe Dalles, ORTrenton, MOValentine, NEWeatherford, OKWise–Norton, VAWoodstock, GAWoodward, OKAberdeen, WAAlpine, TXAshland, WIBlytheville, ARBrady, TXChildress, TXColstrip, MTCovington, VADecorah, IADevils Lake, NDDyersburg, TNGillette, WYGlasgow, MTGonzales, TXGreat Bend, KSGreensburg, INHamilton, ALHarrison, ARHeber Springs, ARHobbs, NMHoughton–Hancock, MIHugoton, KSIowa Falls, IAIronwood, MI–WIJackson, WYKalispell, MTKenai, AKKerrville, TXKlamath Falls–Altamont, ORLaramie, WYLexington, VALogansport, INMartinsville, VAMaryville, MOMiddlesborough, KY–TNMiles City, MTMountain Home, ARNorton, KSParis, TNParkston, SDPetoskey, MIRhinelander, WIRichmond, IN–OHRiverton, WYRugby, NDRussellville, ARSault Ste. Marie, MISearcy, ARShelby, MTSheridan, WYSteamboat Springs, COStillwater, OKSusanville, CASweetwater, TXUvalde, TXVernal, UTVernon, TXVillage of Four Seasons, MOVincennes, INWashington Court House, OHAlamogordo, NMAtwood, KSBaker, MTBurley, IDBurlington, COChincoteague, VACody, WYCondon, ORCrescent City, CACrossville, TNGoodland, KSGunnison, COJuneau, AKKeene, NHLa Grande, ORLewistown, MTLivingston, MTLudington, MIMagnolia, ARMcCall, IDMoab, UTMoses Lake, WANevada, MONewport, ORNorth Eagle Butte, SDPhilip, SDPlentywood, MTPrice, UTRock Springs, WYRoseau, MNRoseburg, ORRoswell, NMSalmon, IDSeminole, TXSequim, WASummersville, WVToms River, NJTorrington, WYTrinidad, COUkiah, CAValley City, NDWinner, SDAkutan, AKBethel, AKBuffalo, SDBurns, ORChester, MTDelta, UTDillingham, AKDillon, MTEastpoint, FLEnterprise, OREureka, CAFort Stockton, TXFriday Harbor, WAGrand Marais, MNHaines, AKHarlan, KYHilo, HIHonolulu, HIHooper Bay, AKHyannis, NEInternational Falls, MNJohn Day, ORJordan, MTKapaa, HIKetchikan, AKKodiak–Mill Bay, AKKotzebue, AKLakeview, ORMalta, MTMatador, TXMetlakatla, AKNantucket, MANome, AKPetersburg, AKPresque Isle, MESalida, COSanderson, TXSitka, AKSkagway, AKTaos, NMThompson Falls, MTUnalaska, AKUtqiaġvik, AKVineyard Haven–Edgartown–Oak Bluffs, MAWinnett, MTWrangell city and, AKZapata–Medina, TX
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Questions people ask
What traits does a civil engineer need?
Practicality, spatial reasoning, collaboration, detail orientation, meticulousness, leadership & initiative and communication. STEM Compass scores each of them and shows your gap or margin on every one.
How fast is civil engineer employment growing?
+5% between 2024 and 2034 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.
How do I start from zero?
The STEM Farm Engineering Technology / CAD / Civil / Construction Tech track begins at zero-STEM intake — no degree, no experience assumed — and ends in this kind of work with verified proof at every gate.
Sources. Career traits, education paths and value lines are the STEM Compass assessment library. Employment growth is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. County economic types are USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes (2025); labor markets are Census commuting zones (2020). Salary is not shown anywhere in this campaign on purpose: the assessment measures fit and what the work is worth to the world.