Careers and Outcomes

Watch your work benefit the world

Civil engineers help cities and communities reach their full potential.

If you’re creative, dedicated to the public and like turning plans into action, you’re made to be in this field.

What does a civil engineer do?

They create the paths and places that people inhabit.

Civil engineers make infrastructure and systems safe to use – roads, bridges, buildings, airports and more.

There are many moving parts. In civil engineering, you may:

Design foundations for buildings and structures.
Develop construction materials like asphalt, concrete and composites.
Manage projects, quality control and contract administration.
Move people and cargo from place to place.
Provide reliable and economical bridges, port facilities and intricate dams.
Provide safe drinking water, control flooding and runoff.

A key skill you’ll need: Communication. Civil engineers work with other engineers and the general public.

You’ll inform property owners, citizens, city officials, attorneys and others about project goals and address their concerns.

Major in civil engineering

Alumni Spotlight

Loving what she does

Tia Clemens had worn a lot of career hats. When she found civil engineering, she knew her job-hopping days were over.

Read Tia's story

How much money do civil engineers make?

Enjoy a well-paying career field where you have potential to grow.

Your salary may vary depending on where you live, work and how much experience you have.

Pay

$88,000

Average annual salary for civil engineers.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Job growth

Projected job growth this decade for civil engineers.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Where can you work as a civil engineer?

Civil engineering is broad – there’s something for everyone.

You can work in the public or private sector and specialize in the area you most enjoy.

These areas include:

Go green.

As an environmental engineer, you’ll maintain and improve the environment.

In this field, you may:
- Design cost-effective water treatment facilities.
- Lower air and water pollution.
- Reduce power plant emissions.
Your work can solve problems that affect everyone.
What lies underneath? In many places, unstable grounds.

In geotechnical engineering, you can safeguard against that.

You’re an expert on how to build in areas that have sinkholes, caves and other risky subsurface features.

Geotechnical engineers work on:
- Building foundations.
- Embankments.
- Pavements.
- Retaining walls.
Your work ensures that projects are safe, economical and sustainable.
From skyscrapers to bridges and tunnels, every structure needs stability.

Structural engineers help our homes, buildings and other facilities stand up to wear and tear.

Structural engineers can:
- Choose the materials (steel, concrete, masonry, wood), that best balance safety, reliability and cost.
- Estimate the natural and man-made forces that impact a structure during its lifetime.
- Handle new construction, renovations and inspections of existing structures.
In structural engineering, you can keep buildings secure.
Whether it’s cargo or people, everything moves around.

Transportation engineers make it all go from Point A to Point B, smoothly.

In this field, you’ll plan roads, highways and other transport systems for efficiency.

Using math, logic and research skills, you can make travel better.
No matter where you live or what you do, you need water.

Water resource engineers are equipped to meet society’s water demands.

They’re experts who:
- Work on projects related to stormwater and drinking water supply.
- Specialize in everything from small inlets to monumental reservoirs, aqueducts and canals.
- Analyze rainfall patterns and runoff to determine the flowrate capacity needed for culverts, channels, bridges, pipes or pumps.
- Work closely with stakeholders (property owners, city officials and concerned citizens).
- Minimize the negative impacts of development on people and the environment.
With fresh water supplies decreasing, you’ll provide a vital service.

Where you can find our alumni

In Springfield and beyond, our alumni work in transportation, structure and public utility roles.

Local employers include:

Allgeier, Martin and Associates, Inc.
Anderson Engineering
City of Springfield
City Utilities
Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc.
Liberty Utilities
Miller Engineering, P.C
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)
Olsson
Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative
Toth and Associates