Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

17-2051 Civil Engineers

Occupational Description:
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. Includes architectural, structural, traffic, ocean, and geo-technical engineers. Excludes “Hydrologists" (19-2043).

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2026

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Minnesota	4,710	363	$53.14/hr	$32.54/hr	$39.78/hr	$50.16/hr	$64.09/hr	$78.70/hr

Leading Industries for Civil Engineers

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Natural Resources and Mining	N/A	N/A
Construction	480	$40.53/hr
Manufacturing	50	$50.28/hr
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	N/A	N/A
Information	N/A	N/A
Professional and Business Services	2,950	$50.63/hr
Education and Health Services	N/A	N/A
Public Administration	1,200	$52.21/hr

Other Regional Data for Civil Engineers

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2024-2034
Northeast Balance of State	50	$45.33/hr	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	50	$63.38/hr	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	80	$47.50/hr	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	100	$48.59/hr	N/A
Southeast Balance of State	110	$49.93/hr	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	120	$50.02/hr	N/A
Southwest Minnesota	130	$53.33/hr	8.6%
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	170	$49.68/hr	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	190	$47.38/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	210	$49.93/hr	11.6%
Northeast Minnesota	210	$48.86/hr	6.5%
Duluth MN-WI MSA	220	$48.84/hr	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	260	$46.91/hr	N/A
Central Minnesota	280	$49.19/hr	10.8%
Northwest Minnesota	290	$47.49/hr	9.2%
Fargo ND-MN MSA	510	$47.22/hr	N/A
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	3,150	$51.78/hr	8.2%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	3,350	$51.76/hr	N/A
Minnesota	4,710	$50.16/hr	6.6%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2024-2034
Environmental Engineers	1,080	$57.21/hr	2.6%
Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers	70	$45.27/hr	7.8%
Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors	220	$59.34/hr	1.0%
Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other	1,000	$51.07/hr	0.7%
Petroleum Engineers	40	N/A	3.2%
Cost Estimators	4,310	$39.50/hr	-5.1%
Architectural and Civil Drafters	1,930	$34.93/hr	4.3%
Nuclear Engineers	N/A	N/A	N/A
Architectural and Engineering Managers	4,580	$84.14/hr	1.0%
Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians	2,030	$38.89/hr	3.7%

Task for Civil Engineers

Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
Provide technical direction or supervision to junior engineers, engineering or computer-aided design (CAD) technicians, or other technical personnel.
Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
Check construction plans, design calculations, or cost estimations to ensure completeness, accuracy, or conformity to engineering standards or practices.
Design or engineer drainage, erosion, or sedimentation control systems for transportation projects.
Confer with contractors, utility companies, or government agencies to discuss plans, specifications, or work schedules.
Design or prepare plans for new transportation systems or parts of systems, such as airports, commuter trains, highways, streets, bridges, drainage structures, or roadway lighting.
Review and critique proposals, plans, or designs related to water or wastewater treatment systems.
Evaluate the operation and maintenance of water or wastewater systems to identify ways to improve their efficiency.