What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Civil Engineers in the U.S. earn more than $100,840 a year — the middle 80% land between $68,240 and $163,220. About 367,840 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Civil Engineers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$100,840typical pay / year
367,840people in this work
$163,220+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Analysing4
Supervise site investigations
+Supervise the on-site investigations at GridX substation in Barnet next Tuesday, confirm access and safety…
Supervise site investigations
+Supervise the on-site investigations at GridX substation in Barnet next Tuesday, confirm access and safety brief with site foreman Mark Davies, record CCTV points and SCADA I/O tag readings, then upload the annotated field sketch and signed attendance sheet.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Ensure safety standards
+Ensure all site works on the Harlow RTU installation follow the safety pack: verify the RAMS are signed by…
Ensure safety standards
+Ensure all site works on the Harlow RTU installation follow the safety pack: verify the RAMS are signed by contractor lead Tom Ellis, confirm isolation procedures for LV panels, and photographproof that PPE and exclusion zones are in place before any live testing begins.
The tools that do the workAdobe Acrobatjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Evaluate and select appropriate construction materials
+Evaluate and select suitable conduit, cable glands and earthing materials for the new telemetry cabinets at…
Evaluate and select appropriate construction materials
+Evaluate and select suitable conduit, cable glands and earthing materials for the new telemetry cabinets at Eastwick, compare vendor datasheets, check IP ratings against site exposure, and pick the preferred items with justification for procurement by Thursday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADMicrosoft ExcelO*NETWikipedia
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Assess project risks
+Assess project risks for the Midlands SCADA rollout, run through timing conflicts, spare-parts availability,…
Assess project risks
+Assess project risks for the Midlands SCADA rollout, run through timing conflicts, spare-parts availability, cyber access concerns and contractor competence, score each risk, and produce a mitigation plan to present at Monday morning project board.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Keeping the record1
Prepare project bids
+Prepare the bid for the North Thames telemetry upgrade due Friday, compile baseline scope, equipment…
Prepare project bids
+Prepare the bid for the North Thames telemetry upgrade due Friday, compile baseline scope, equipment estimates, labour days and contingency, attach previous change orders from the Riverdale job, and produce a priced submission for commercial review by Wednesday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsWikipedia
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Convincing1
Liaise with clients
+Liaise with NationalGrid contact Priya Shah about the proposed SCADA I/O mapping changes, share the updated…
Liaise with clients
+Liaise with NationalGrid contact Priya Shah about the proposed SCADA I/O mapping changes, share the updated wiring schedule, confirm their preferred cutover weekend and note any operational constraints before Friday so the design can be locked.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsWikipedia
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The daily work17
Conduct feasibility studies
+Run a feasibility study for the 33 kV substation at Ridgeway: survey existing SCADA telemetry points,…
Conduct feasibility studies
+Run a feasibility study for the 33 kV substation at Ridgeway: survey existing SCADA telemetry points, estimate fiber and RTU link costs, model outage scenarios, and produce a recommendation memo with cost, schedule, and risk by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESRI ArcGISjob descriptionsO*NET
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Design infrastructure blueprints
+Produce infrastructure blueprints for the new control house at Northgate: dimension the I/O rack layouts,…
Design infrastructure blueprints
+Produce infrastructure blueprints for the new control house at Northgate: dimension the I/O rack layouts, show cable routes and gland locations, mark HVAC and earthing connections, and export a print-ready set for stakeholder review next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites.
+Draft an engineering response to the chemical spill at Pump Station 4: document temporary SCADA isolation…
Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites.
+Draft an engineering response to the chemical spill at Pump Station 4: document temporary SCADA isolation steps, specify leak detection sensors and purge valves, estimate materials and labor to decontaminate cabinets, and submit a safety-checked action plan by 48 hours.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeAdobe AcrobatO*NET
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Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
+Calculate load and grade specs for the pipeline crossings on Line 7: compute conductor ampacity, hydraulic…
Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
+Calculate load and grade specs for the pipeline crossings on Line 7: compute conductor ampacity, hydraulic head for the booster pumps, and material stress factors for elevated supports, then produce a design spec sheet with safety margins by Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
+Design the hydraulic routing for the new cooling-water system serving Substation B: produce system schematics…
Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
+Design the hydraulic routing for the new cooling-water system serving Substation B: produce system schematics showing pump sizes, pipe diameters, head loss calculations, and control valve locations, then hand over a construction-ready drawing set next week.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DO*NET
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Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
+Analyse the survey and aerial data for the proposed relay site at Timber Loop: reconcile topographic contours…
Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
+Analyse the survey and aerial data for the proposed relay site at Timber Loop: reconcile topographic contours with as-built schematics, identify floodplain and cable corridor constraints, and produce a site assessment report with recommended fixes by Monday.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISAutodesk AutoCADO*NET
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Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
+Arrange and witness compressive and shear testing on the site soils and concrete samples, verify test…
Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
+Arrange and witness compressive and shear testing on the site soils and concrete samples, verify test standards and sample IDs match the pile design numbers, log results, flag any strength shortfalls to the geotechnical lead by Wednesday and recommend hold or remedial pour plans.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.
+Develop a safe disposal scheme for the plant's chemical wastes, map the containment and treatment stages,…
Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.
+Develop a safe disposal scheme for the plant's chemical wastes, map the containment and treatment stages, calculate required neutralisation volumes and transport frequency, circulate the scheme to environmental compliance and operations for approval by next Monday.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCAD Civil 3DO*NET
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Analyze survey data
+Clean, validate and analyse the recent field survey points against the SCADA site grid, produce summary…
Analyze survey data
+Clean, validate and analyse the recent field survey points against the SCADA site grid, produce summary tables of offsets, identify any systematic survey bias, and deliver a corrected point set plus a two-page anomaly note to the surveyor by close of business tomorrow.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelESRI ArcGISjob descriptions
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Prepare technical reports
+Compile the site test logs, instrumentation readings and fault logs into a concise technical report that…
Prepare technical reports
+Compile the site test logs, instrumentation readings and fault logs into a concise technical report that states acceptance against spec clauses, includes three key failure modes with mitigation, and submit the draft to the project engineer for review on Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeAdobe Acrobatjob descriptions
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Oversee structure implementation
+Supervise the erection of the control room steel frame and cable trays this week, verify anchor bolts and…
Oversee structure implementation
+Supervise the erection of the control room steel frame and cable trays this week, verify anchor bolts and concrete curing meet design tolerances, sign off daily nonconformance reports, and instruct the contractor to stop work if deflections exceed limits.
The tools that do the workAutodesk AutoCADjob descriptions
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Review design drawings
+Review the electrical and civil design drawings for the new RTU skids, check cable schedules, earthing…
Review design drawings
+Review the electrical and civil design drawings for the new RTU skids, check cable schedules, earthing details and clearances against equipment specs, annotate any discrepancies, and return a consolidated list to the design team by Tuesday morning.
The tools that do the workBentley MicroStationjob descriptions
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Monitor project progress
+Review the weekly project tracker, compare actual milestones against the baseline schedule for the substation…
Monitor project progress
+Review the weekly project tracker, compare actual milestones against the baseline schedule for the substation relays and RTU installs, flag any two-week slippages, note responsible contractors, and email a concise status to Tom in Projects by Friday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Analyze environmental impact
+Map recent wetland buffers and protected zones against the planned SCADA cable routes, calculate affected…
Analyze environmental impact
+Map recent wetland buffers and protected zones against the planned SCADA cable routes, calculate affected area and potential tree removal totals, summarise findings with recommendations for mitigation and send to Emma in Environmental by Wednesday close of business.
The tools that do the workESRI ArcGISjob descriptions
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Develop repair plans
+Draft repair plans for the failed telemetry cabinet: list required parts, step-by-step isolation and…
Develop repair plans
+Draft repair plans for the failed telemetry cabinet: list required parts, step-by-step isolation and replacement procedures, estimated outage window, and labour hours, then circulate to Maintenance lead Javier and the site foreman before the Monday shift handover.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions
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Operate infrastructure systems effectively
+Compile operational checks for the regional SCADA stack: include communication health, PLC I/O diagnostics,…
Operate infrastructure systems effectively
+Compile operational checks for the regional SCADA stack: include communication health, PLC I/O diagnostics, fallback procedures and KPIs to monitor, then send the one-page ops checklist to Operations manager Lei and the on-call engineer for immediate adoption.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelWikipedia
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Protect public and environmental health during projects
+Prepare a site protection brief for the upcoming fiber pull: identify public access controls, spill response…
Protect public and environmental health during projects
+Prepare a site protection brief for the upcoming fiber pull: identify public access controls, spill response steps, noise and dust limits, emergency contacts and permit obligations, then distribute to Construction manager Rachel and the health and safety officer by Thursday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeWikipedia
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