O*NET-SOC 17-2051.00

Civil Engineers

Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.

Preparation

ItemValue
Preparation zoneZone 4 – Considerable preparation needed
What O*NET says the zone requiresConsiderable skill, knowledge, or experience is needed
Broad occupation in O*NETTrue (Yes)
Skills listed for this occupation6
Abilities listed for this occupation6
Tasks listed for this occupation5
Interest scores given for this occupation6

Skills

The 6 skills with the highest importance values in this occupation's records.

SkillO*NET elementImportanceDate
Active Listening2.A.1.b4.008/2021
Complex Problem Solving2.B.2.i3.8808/2021
Critical Thinking2.A.2.a3.8808/2021
Mathematics2.A.1.e3.8808/2021
Reading Comprehension2.A.1.a3.8808/2021
Speaking2.A.1.d3.8808/2021

The importance value is what each record itself carries on O*NET's importance scale; the date is the date in each record.

Abilities

The 6 abilities with the highest importance values in this occupation's records.

AbilityO*NET elementImportanceDate
Deductive Reasoning1.A.1.b.44.008/2021
Inductive Reasoning1.A.1.b.54.008/2021
Oral Comprehension1.A.1.a.14.008/2021
Oral Expression1.A.1.a.34.008/2021
Problem Sensitivity1.A.1.b.34.008/2021
Written Comprehension1.A.1.a.24.008/2021

The importance value is what each record itself carries on O*NET's importance scale; the date is the date in each record.

Tasks

The tasks O*NET records for this occupation, with the type, respondent count and date each record carries.

TaskTypeIncumbents respondingDate
Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.Core2108/2021
Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.Core2108/2021
Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.Core2108/2021
Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.Core2108/2021
Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.Core2108/2021

Work interests

The interest scores O*NET gives this occupation, on the six interest types.

InterestScoreDate
Realistic6.3611/2023
Investigative5.1111/2023
Conventional4.6311/2023
Enterprising2.911/2023
Artistic2.1511/2023
Social1.7911/2023

More occupations in preparation zone 4

Source: O*NET 29.1 Database (Occupation Data, Job Zones, Skills, Abilities, Task Statements, Interests), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Data fetched 2026-10-31. See about and sources.