Explore occupational profile

Version:
OaSIS 2025 Version 1.0
Search the OaSIS

21300.00 – Civil engineers

Civil engineers plan, design, develop and manage projects for the construction or repair of buildings, earth structures, powerhouses, roads, airports, railways, rapid transit facilities, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams, ports and coastal installations and systems related to highway and transportation services, water distribution and sanitation. They may also specialize in foundation analysis, building and structural inspection, surveying, geomatics and municipal planning.

Overview

Example job titles

  • Bridge engineer
  • Civil engineer
  • Construction engineer
  • Construction project engineer
  • Environmental engineer
  • Geodetic engineer
  • Geomatics engineer
  • Highway engineer
  • Hydraulics engineer
  • Municipal engineer
  • Public works engineer
  • Sanitation engineer
  • Structural engineer
  • Surveying engineer
  • Traffic engineer
  • Transportation engineer
  • Water management engineer

Core competencies

  • Critical Thinking, Decision Making and Problem Solving to evaluate complex variables or constraints on projects to determine effective strategies for managing risks and maximize project success
  • Numeracy to perform complex calculations related to structural analysis, material properties, fluid dynamics and other engineering principles to ensure designs are structurally sound and meet regulatory requirements
  • Fluency of Ideas to adapt to the unique requirements of each project by generating a wide range of design options and solutions tailored to construction challenges
  • Problem Identification and Deductive Reasoning to identify potential hazards and assess their impact on public safety, pinpoint the underlying causes and evaluate the likelihood and severity of risks
  • Analytical Thinking to interpret data from various sources, including surveys, environmental assessments and structural analyses, to identify patterns and trends, informing decision-making
  • Knowledge in Technical Design to understand structural principles, material properties and design standards, to ensure the structural integrity of buildings, bridges, dams and other infrastructure projects

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Confer with clients and other members of the engineering team and conduct research to determine project requirements
  • Plan and design major civil projects such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, water and waste management systems and structural steel fabrications
  • Develop construction specifications and procedures
  • Evaluate and recommend appropriate building and construction materials
  • Interpret, review and approve survey and civil design work
  • Conduct field services for civil works
  • Ensure construction plans meet guidelines and specifications of building codes and other regulations
  • Establish and monitor construction work schedules
  • Conduct feasibility studies, economic analyses, municipal and regional traffic studies, environmental impact studies or other investigations
  • Monitor air, water and soil quality and develop procedures to clean up contaminated sites
  • Conduct technical analyses of survey and field data for development of topographic, soil, hydrological or other information and prepare reports
  • Act as project or site supervisor for land survey or construction work
  • Prepare contract documents and review and evaluate tenders for construction projects
  • Supervise technicians, technologists and other engineers and review and approve designs, calculations and cost estimates.

Additional information

  • There is considerable mobility between civil engineering specializations at the less senior levels.
  • Supervisory and senior positions in this unit group require experience.
  • Engineers often work in a multidisciplinary environment and acquire knowledge and skills through work experience that may allow them to practise in associated areas of science, engineering, sales, marketing or management.

Similar occupations classified elsewhere

Exclusions:

NOC hierarchy breakdown

NOC version

NOC 2021 Version 1.0

Broad occupational category

2 – Natural and applied sciences and related occupations

TEER

1 – Occupations usually require a university degree

Major group

21 – Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

Sub-major group

213 – Professional occupations in engineering

Minor group

2130 – Civil and mechanical engineers

Unit group

21300 – Civil engineers

Occupational profile

21300.00 – Civil engineers

O*NET in-it

This page includes information from the O*NET 27.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Employment and Social Development Canada has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.