Civil engineering technologists and 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.
Civil engineering technologists and 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. The role reports a median annual salary of $64,200 in the US and is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Associate's degree, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.60 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics, Speaking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £37,229 a year for Building and civil engineering technicians (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3114). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Civil engineering technologists and technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification 3-year polytechnic diploma in Civil Engineering after Class 10, at an AICTE-approved institute[1]
- 2 · Qualification Optional: lateral entry into year 2 of a B.Tech / B.E. after the diploma[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- AICTE — Approval Process Handbook 2024-25 to 2026-27 (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Building and Construction
- Design
- Administrative
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
A day in the life
You start the morning at the site office reading through blueprints and specifications for a new drainage culvert, checking the dimensions before the contractor starts work. You calculate quantities of concrete and steel for the next pour and draft a detailed layout of the section for the crew. Mid-morning you walk the site with the engineer, measuring what has been built, inspecting the formwork and noting where the contractor has drifted from the design. After lunch you meet your supervisor to go through the acceptance tests and agree how to fix a problem with a pipe level. Later you enter test results and progress notes into the project records and prepare a short report with photographs. The mud, the heat and the endless documentation can wear you down. But there is real satisfaction in watching a structure take shape correctly because you caught the mistakes early.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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 to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
- Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
- Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Civil engineering technologists and technicians do?
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 does a typical day look like in Civil engineering technologists and technicians?
You start the morning at the site office reading through blueprints and specifications for a new drainage culvert, checking the dimensions before the contractor starts work. You calculate quantities of concrete and steel for the next pour and draft a detailed layout of the section for the crew. Mid-morning you walk the site with the engineer, measuring what has been built, inspecting the formwork and noting where the contractor has drifted from the design.
How much does Civil engineering technologists and technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Civil engineering technologists and technicians in the US is $64,200.
What is the job outlook for Civil engineering technologists and technicians?
The role is showing modest growth of 2% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 64,900 workers.
How do I become civil engineering technologists and technicians?
The typical entry education is a Associate's degree. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Civil engineering technologists and technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Mathematics, Speaking, Writing. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Civil engineering technologists and technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Civil engineering technologists and technicians a score of 0.60 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Civil engineering technologists and technicians has moderate barrier to entry — moderately gated — a bachelor's degree or equivalent training is typically required.