← All 785 jobsFile 17-2051
Civil Engineers
Also filed here: Civil engineer, Site engineer, Structural engineer
Lightly edited
AI performs some of this work. Most of it still needs a person. The BLS expects 6.4% more of these jobs by 2035, faster than the 3.5% average.
- Rank
- #176 of 785 jobs, by how much of the work AI does
- US jobs, 2025 to 2035
- +6.4% All jobs: +3.5%
- Median US pay
- $100,840 a year, 2025
- People doing it
- 380,600 in the US, with about 22,700 openings a year
The work, 40 activities
The job description, marked up.
Every activity in this job, the biggest first. Tap a line for the evidence.
- deleAI does this
- +AIAI helps
- stetStill yours
Still yours: Design structures or facilities12%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Evaluate designs, specifications, or other technical data8%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 903 conversations, and it got them there 86% of the time.
AI does this: Advise others on business or operational matters5%
AI performed this in about 1 in 290 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities5%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Evaluate the characteristics, usefulness, or performance of products or technologies4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 237 Copilot conversations and completed it 93% of the time.
Still yours: Inspect facilities or equipment4%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Plan work activities4%
AI performed this in about 1 in 720 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Design industrial systems or equipment3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Present research or technical information3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 30 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Estimate project development or operational costs3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Develop models of systems, processes, or products3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,656 Copilot conversations and completed it 72% of the time.
AI does this: Provide information or assistance to the public3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 7 Copilot conversations and completed it 86% of the time.
Still yours: Supervise personnel activities3%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Advise others on the design or use of technologies3%
AI performed this in about 1 in 97 Copilot conversations and completed it 91% of the time.
AI helps with this: Create visual designs or displays3%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 78 conversations, and it got them there 40% of the time.
AI does this: Advise others on environmental sustainability or green practices2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,887 Copilot conversations and completed it 97% of the time.
AI helps with this: Research technology designs or applications2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 149 conversations, and it got them there 89% of the time.
AI does this: Develop operational or technical procedures or standards2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,089 Copilot conversations and completed it 92% of the time.
Still yours: Test characteristics of materials or products2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Coordinate regulatory compliance activities2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Communicate with others about specifications or project details2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 117 Copilot conversations and completed it 78% of the time.
Still yours: Analyze data to improve operations2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Advise others on workplace health or safety issues2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,805 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
AI does this: Select materials or equipment for operations or projects2%
AI performed this in about 1 in 529 Copilot conversations and completed it 94% of the time.
AI helps with this: Identify business or organizational opportunities2%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,883 conversations, and it got them there 90% of the time.
Still yours: Develop systems or practices to mitigate or resolve environmental problems2%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI does this: Develop technical specifications for products or operations1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 1,901 Copilot conversations and completed it 90% of the time.
Still yours: Schedule operational activities1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Manage budgets or finances1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct construction or extraction activities1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Determine resource needs of projects or operations1%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 1,590 conversations, and it got them there 92% of the time.
Still yours: Analyze environmental or geospatial data1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Negotiate contracts or agreements1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Assess characteristics of land or property1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Prepare proposals or grant applications1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Assess compliance with environmental standards or regulations1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
Still yours: Direct scientific or technical activities1%
Barely appears in AI conversations: fewer than 1 in 2,000.
AI helps with this: Design computer or information systems or applications1%
People asked AI for help with this in about 1 in 938 conversations, and it got them there 85% of the time.
AI does this: Implement procedures or processes1%
AI performed this in about 1 in 377 Copilot conversations and completed it 89% of the time.
2025 to 2035
Ten years from now.
For every 100 of these jobs in 2025, the BLS projects 106 in 2035. Across all US jobs, about 104.
About 22,700 openings a year, from growth and from people who retire or move on.
Nearby
Where your skills travel.
Jobs that share the most work with this one, where AI does less of it.
- Shares 42% of the workEngineers29% AI does, against 35% here+3.7% by 2035 · $122,930 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 33% of the workArchitects16% AI does, against 35% here+4.3% by 2035 · $99,280 · Bachelor’s degree
- Shares 33% of the workMaterials Engineers26% AI does, against 35% here+7.5% by 2035 · $112,860 · Bachelor’s degree
The wire
On the wire.
Nothing filed about this job yet. The latest from the Work front:
How to read this file.
deleAI does this. In US Bing Copilot conversations from January to September 2024, AI itself performed the activity, completed it and made a real difference often enough to count.
+AIAI helps. People brought the activity to AI as their own goal, and it usually got them there.
stetStill yours. It barely shows up in AI use, AI rarely finishes it, or in this job it needs hands.
Shares are weighted by how much each activity matters in the job, using O*NET. Microsoft’s own AI applicability score for this job is 0.21, higher than 70% of jobs.
Doing an activity is not doing a job. The researchers behind this data warn against reading it as job loss, and so do we. It is US data; the shape of the work travels.
Sources: Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025) · O*NET OnLine, 17-2051 · BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
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