"I pride myself on the finished product. When my kids were little, they used to point to bridges, buildings, and roads and ask me if I helped build them. It really made me love my job that much more. This work requires analytical and problem solving skills. It's a big responsibility to create the communities we live in, but I enjoy the process of figuring things out; fitting things together so that people are safe, the environment flows, and the elements I design are complementary to everything around it. 

If people want to advance in this field, they should get their Professional Engineer license. You can always continue to work as a civil engineer without it. However, once you have some years of experience, you'll need it to take the next step, which will provide opportunities for a higher salary and career progression."

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Job Description

SOC Code: 17-2051

Civil Engineers 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.*

*Source: This information is based on O*NET™ data. O*NET is a trademark registered to the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.

Top Job Skills:

• Provide technical support
• Design calculations
• Land planning
• Structural analysis
• 3D modeling

General Work Activities:

• Mental Processes
  • Estimate technical or resource requirements for development or production projects
  • Create graphical representations of civil structures
  • Incorporate green features into the design of structures or facilities
• Interacting With Others
  • Coordinate safety or regulatory compliance activities
  • Direct construction activities
  • Explain project details to the general public
• Information Input
  • Test characteristics of materials or structures
  • Inspect facilities or sites to determine if they meet specifications or standards
  • Survey land or bodies of water to measure or determine features
  • Investigate the environmental impact of projects
  • Estimate operational costs

Source: SC Works Online Services (SCWOS)

*All data is factual, but names, images, and quotations have been adapted to protect the identity of employees and businesses

Job Statistics

 

Examples of Workforce Areas with Job Openings

• Greenville
• Trident
• Midlands
• Lower Savannah
• Catawba
• Waccamaw

 

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area.

Examples of Employers with Job Openings

• Fluor Corporation
• Thomas & Hutton
• ACTalent, Inc.
• Spectra Tech, Inc.
• Stantec, Inc.
• Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.

Source: SC Works Online Services. Ask an SC Works representative for more information about postings in your area

Related Occupations

• Civil Engineering
• Technologists and Technicians
• Construction
• Building Inspectors
• Construction Managers
• Transportation Engineers
• Water/Wastewater Engineers

NOTE: All data based on state averages. Information may vary depending on region, experience, and specific employment situation. Last Updated: 2025

Learn More with SCWOS

SC Works Online Services (SCWOS) is the state’s largest job database and provides all of South Carolina's job postings from all major sites, including Monster and Career Builder, in one resource. SCWOS has thousands of positions listed by employers all over the state. To access SCWOS, visit jobs.scworks.org.

Find in-depth breakdowns of occupational statistics such as necessary job certifications, job skills and abilities, current job openings, overview of general work activities, and more by visiting O*NET.org.