Civil Engineers
SOC Code: 17-2051 Job Zone 4: Considerable Preparation Needed
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.
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Prevailing Wage Levels (National)
DOL/OFLC prevailing wage thresholds for Civil Engineers. Hourly rates x 2,080 = annual.
FY2027 Weighted Lottery Impact
| Level | Lottery Entries | Est. Selection Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Level I (Entry) | 1 entry | ~16% |
| Level II (Qualified) | 2 entries | ~31% |
| Level III (Experienced) | 3 entries | ~45% |
| Level IV (Expert) | 4 entries | ~61% |
Prevailing Wages by Metro Area
| Metro Area | Level I | Level II | Level III | Level IV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $92,435 | $115,128 | $137,800 | $160,493 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $92,934 | $113,838 | $134,763 | $155,667 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $87,568 | $108,077 | $128,565 | $149,074 |
| Napa, CA | $83,658 | $104,125 | $124,613 | $145,080 |
| Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $87,922 | $106,787 | $125,632 | $144,498 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $78,811 | $100,131 | $121,430 | $142,750 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | $61,318 | $88,442 | $115,586 | $142,709 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $81,806 | $102,107 | $122,387 | $142,688 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | $84,094 | $103,085 | $122,096 | $141,086 |
| Redding, CA | $85,238 | $103,854 | $122,450 | $141,066 |
H-1B Filing Data
Top H-1B Employers
| Employer | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| WSP USA Inc. | 304 | $98,328 |
| AMAZON DATA SERVICES, INC | 247 | $132,578 |
| Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. | 173 | $97,094 |
| AECOM Technical Services Inc | 171 | $94,863 |
| CORE TECH CONSTRUCTION CORPORATION | 163 | $830,780 |
| AECOM Technical Services, Inc. | 133 | $96,861 |
| Stantec Consulting Services Inc. | 131 | $97,240 |
| THORNTON TOMASETTI, INC. | 122 | $98,491 |
| CLAYCO, INC. | 112 | $97,985 |
| TERRACON CONSULTANTS, INC. | 107 | $82,582 |
Filing Trend
| Year | Filings | Avg Wage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 548 | $83,207 |
| 2021 | 797 | $86,651 |
| 2022 | 727 | $91,968 |
| 2023 | 2,411 | $151,990 |
| 2024 | 4,275 | $177,864 |
| 2025 | 5,363 | $579,826 |
| 2026 | 561 | $506,199 |
Key Skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 | |
| Speaking | 3.9 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 | |
| Mathematics | 3.9 | |
| Science | 3.8 | |
| Systems Analysis | 3.8 | |
| Time Management | 3.8 | |
| Operations Analysis | 3.6 |
Knowledge Areas
| Knowledge | Importance |
|---|---|
| Design | 4.7 |
| Engineering and Technology | 4.7 |
| Building and Construction | 4.5 |
| Mathematics | 4.5 |
| English Language | 4.0 |
| Physics | 3.7 |
| Administration and Management | 3.6 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.4 |
Education Requirements
| Education Level | % of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 85.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 9.5% |
| Master's degree | 4.8% |
Typical Tasks
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
- Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility.
- Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
- Design energy-efficient or environmentally sound civil structures.
- Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
Technology Skills
Green = Hot Technology in demand
Adobe Acrobat Apache Subversion SVN Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk AutoCAD Civil 3D Autodesk Revit Bentley MicroStation C Dassault Systemes SolidWorks ESRI ArcGIS software Extensible markup language XML Microsoft Access Microsoft Excel Microsoft Office software Microsoft Outlook Microsoft PowerPoint
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