What's the Job Outlook for a Civil Engineer?

I'm planning to major in civil engineering and would like to know about the job prospects. Is the demand for civil engineers expected to rise, and are there particular sectors where they're most needed?

Per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, somewhat faster than the average for all occupations. This is driven by the ongoing need to maintain and improve public infrastructure, as well as to improve, replace, or upgrade aging infrastructure.

There's a wide range of sectors where civil engineers are in high demand. For example, there's a critical need in areas such as transportation infrastructure, where civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, airports, seaports, and public transit systems. Similarly, in the water resources domain, there's an increasing focus on systems that control water resources, such as sewage treatment facilities and public water supply facilities.

In the environmental sector, civil engineers play a crucial role in making projects more environment-friendly and in implementing new environmental regulations, which drives demand. Civil engineers will also continue to be needed to prepare and implement plans to manage increased traffic flow in congested areas as urban areas continue to grow.

Lastly, remember that job prospects may vastly vary by region and the state of the local economy. Areas experiencing population or business growth will likely have a higher demand for civil engineers. So it's prudent to consider location as a factor in job outlook as well, not just the overall prospects in this field.