5 Reasons Why Civil Engineering Rocks ??

Last week was Engineers Week 2025! ??

A time to celebrate the impact of engineers (aka us) and inspire the next generation to follow in our footsteps. But let’s be real… ??

All we and younger folks alike hear is that it’s not as good as other engineering fields. “It’s tough, underpaid, and not worth the effort.”

But is that really true? ??

The “hard work" part is — like any career worth pursuing. But civil engineering is also one of the most stable and rewarding professions out there.

Here are five reasons why civil engineering was (and will always be) an awesome choice, not only for its impact on society but also for the huge benefits it brings you as the engineer. ??

??? What Civil Engineers Really Do (In One Sentence)

Look around you.

The awe-inspiring bridges you cross. The stadiums packed with fans. The skyscrapers in the city skyline.

For every iconic structure you can name, a civil engineer made it happen. But here’s the catch…

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. ??

Everybody relies on the work of civil engineers every day, without even realizing it.

The roads we drive on, the water we drink, the buildings we live and work in…all the way to the drainage systems that prevent flooding and the transmission lines that power our house.

All designed, built, and maintained by civil engineers like you and me. ??

It’s a career where your work directly impacts the day-to-day lives of people. And nothing beats the feeling of seeing a project come to life and function in the real world, no matter how small.

So, If I could use only one sentence to sum up what civil engineers do, it’s this…

Everything that keeps society running.

And that leads me to reason #2 for why civil engineering is an amazing career. ??

??? How It Future-Proofs You in a Bad Economy

Can you name a single city in which housing, roads, sewers, stormwater management, traffic, or any other type of work civil engineers do…is not needed? ??

Exactly!

Civil engineering is needed everywhere.

The only difference happens in the magnitude and dollar amount of the projects…but the work is still available!

In fact, as I talked about with Brandon McGill in our interview, companies are having a hard time finding the qualified civil engineers they need to meet all the project demand they have. ??

So, to sum it up, there will always be work to do.

Consequently, you’ll always have a job as a civil engineer, or be able to find one.

This makes the profession one of the most stable out there, including among the other engineering fields. (We’ve all heard of the massive layoffs in the tech industry, right?)

Now, is the pay worth it for all this work that needs to be done? ??

That’s my reason #3… ??

?? Is the Pay Worth It?

Unfortunately, we do not make Silicon Valley money (yet) — and I know we all agree we could be making a bit more. ??

But it’s not that bad either.

We can make a pretty comfortable living as a civil engineer. ??

The national, country-wide average salary of a full-time worker is $59,000.

Now, civil engineers make an average of $100,000 or more, depending on which source you look at.

The ASCE found it to be $130,000 in their last Salary Report.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics states it’s $101,000.

No matter which one you pick, that’s more than $40,000 above the national average. (I’m super cool with it if you ask me. ??)

But there’s more…

On top of a decent salary, there are a lot of other benefits and perks you can have that makes the profession even more attractive.

This includes:

? Bonuses & profit-sharing

? Solid health insurance

? 401(k) matching

? Reimbursement for education, including exam prep courses like ours

So, yeah…we may not be pulling in tech startup money, but civil engineering still offers a rewarding income, with perks that can make life a lot easier and better. ??

?? The Work Flexibility Most Engineers Don’t Get

After covering salaries, the question is: is the work fulfilling, or do we just put up with it for the money and perks? ??

That’s one of the most beautiful things about civil engineering…

You’ve got to choose the type of work you want to do!

?? Want to work in an office, all classy and clean, designing and planning projects or in a more managerial role? You got it!

??? Want to be out in the field, getting your hands and boots dirty, overseeing the construction, and bringing the designs to life along with the crew? That works too!

?? Want a mix of both, where you stay in the office or work remotely and then eventually go out in the field? That’s possible nowadays as well!

Not many career choices offer that kind of flexibility to do the work you like doing...

...the way you like doing it.

And this is one of the biggest indicators of a successful career, according to our interview with Stephanie Slocum.

To illustrate this point, the first image below is me out in the field with the crew up in a bucket truck. The second image is also me in kind of an “in-situ office” doing tower testing that ended up going all night. ??

?? Are You Doomed to Do Engineering Forever?

Lastly, this is one of the biggest myths about the profession.

Just because you went to school for civil engineering, it doesn't mean that's all you’ll ever be or what you’re going to do…for the rest of your life.?

Civil Engineering is one of the most versatile careers out there.

You have the opportunity to branch out into all kinds of different areas that your career will take you, including some you’ve never thought were possible.

Maybe you do start out as a civil engineer, but as you move forward in your career…

…you get a taste for project management and want to become a PM, like Aaron Shavel

…you want to go into the engineering technology field, like Stefanie Reichman

…or you want to start your own engineering business, like Scott Wible.

Whatever it is for you, one thing is for sure… ??

Your major doesn’t define your career!

The skills you develop as a civil engineer — analytical thinking, problem-solving, process-driven organization, and more — are transferable across industries. ??

Celebrate Civil Engineering With Us! ??

To wrap this up, despite all the bad rep civil engineering may get, it’s a pretty rewarding, stable, and high-paying career.

In fact, research by The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity found that engineering degrees have the highest return on investment of any college major, with a mind-blowing median payoff of? $949,000! ??

Was civil engineering a good career choice? The numbers don’t lie.

Will it still be a good choice? The five reasons I mentioned above don’t lie either. ??

So, let’s give civil engineers the appreciation they deserve! ??

Share a photo of a favorite project you loved working on and why, and tag us at Civil Engineering Academy !

We’d love to see what you’ve built out there in the real world!

Happy (Belated) Engineers Week! ??