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Civil Engineers

SOC 17-2051.00Job Zone 4 · Considerable Preparation

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.

Context coveredStructural, transportation, geotechnical, water/wastewater, and construction-engineering practice across public-sector, private design firms, and EPC contractors; EIT through P.E. through principal.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. AutoCAD and Civil 3D — produce plan-and-profile drawings under a senior engineer's review.
  2. Structural calculations from textbook formulas — perform on assigned components in standard load cases.
  3. Site visits and field measurements — collect accurately for a familiar project type.
  4. Permit drawings and submittal packages — assemble per agency checklists under EIT supervision.
  5. Engineering codes (IBC, AASHTO, ASCE 7) — locate relevant sections when prompted.
  6. Quantity take-offs from plans — produce for a defined scope under a senior's review.
  7. Construction submittals (shop drawings, material certs) — review for compliance with the design.
  8. Project documentation (RFIs, design changes, meeting minutes) — log accurately to the firm's standards.
  9. Survey data interpretation — read points, contours, and benchmarks correctly on routine sites.
  10. Engineering software (HEC-RAS, SAP2000) at intro level — operate to a tutorial on assigned tasks.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Single-discipline design (structural framing, drainage layout, intersection geometry) — produce stamped-ready drawings with a P.E.'s review.
  2. Construction submittals and RFIs — respond independently on routine project items.
  3. Quantity and cost estimates for a defined scope — produce credible numbers on standard projects.
  4. Building and infrastructure code interpretations — apply correctly to non-routine items with senior backstop.
  5. Site inspections during construction — perform and document on assigned phases.
  6. Permit applications and agency coordination — prepare and submit on a routine project.
  7. Subcontractor specifications and bid packages — draft for senior review.
  8. EITs and interns on assigned tasks — guide on technique and quality.
  9. Engineering software at production level — operate end-to-end on assigned scope (e.g. full structural model).
  10. Project schedules and milestones — track and flag slippage to the project engineer.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Multi-discipline coordination on mid-sized projects — own as project engineer or P.E. of record.
  2. Stamped engineering for non-routine designs — sign and seal within scope of practice.
  3. Client meetings and design presentations — lead with credibility on owned projects.
  4. Constructibility reviews with contractors — drive change-order resolutions on the engineering side.
  5. Specialty calculations (seismic, fatigue, scour, foundation settlement) — execute on complex projects.
  6. Younger engineers across the team — mentor on judgment, code, and client interactions.
  7. Permit negotiations and agency design exceptions — negotiate with reviewers on contested items.
  8. Design reviews of peers' work — provide substantive feedback in formal QA/QC sessions.
  9. Specialty software at expert level — train juniors and own complex modeling.
  10. Project profitability on owned engagements — manage to budget and schedule.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Multi-million-dollar projects — lead as project manager or principal-in-charge.
  2. Engineering practice and standards on a discipline — set, document, and uphold across the firm.
  3. Major client relationships at agency, owner, and developer level — steward across multi-year programs.
  4. Engineering business development — originate and close pursuits in a market segment.
  5. Engineering staff hiring and development — shape the practice's talent over multi-year horizons.
  6. Expert-witness or specialty consulting — provide on litigation, failures, or contested designs.
  7. Industry leadership (ASCE, ASHE, AWWA, etc.) — represent the firm and advance the profession.
  8. Multi-discipline programs (transportation packages, master plans) — direct across structural, geotech, water, and traffic teams.
  9. Engineering risk management — own the firm's professional-liability exposure on a portfolio.
  10. Engineering culture and practice — shape across the firm through standards, rituals, and quality programs.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework

Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

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RAPIDS apprenticeships
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O*NET skills
Active ListeningMathematicsCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingReading ComprehensionSpeakingScienceSystems AnalysisTime ManagementOperations AnalysisJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoringWritingActive LearningSystems EvaluationCoordinationPersuasionNegotiationInstructingService OrientationSocial PerceptivenessManagement of Personnel Resources
Knowledge domains
DesignEngineering and TechnologyBuilding and ConstructionMathematicsEnglish LanguagePhysicsAdministration and ManagementCustomer and Personal ServiceLaw and GovernmentPublic Safety and SecurityComputers and ElectronicsTransportation
Abilities
Problem SensitivityInductive ReasoningWritten ExpressionOral ExpressionWritten ComprehensionOral ComprehensionDeductive ReasoningInformation OrderingMathematical ReasoningVisualization
Work styles
DependabilityAttention to DetailCautiousnessIntegrityIntellectual CuriosityAchievement Orientation
Technology
Document management softwareFile versioning softwareComputer aided design CAD softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareDevelopment environment softwareMap creation softwareOffice suite softwareProject management softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareElectronic mail software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations.
  2. Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site.
  3. Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
  4. Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
  5. Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools.
  6. Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs.
  7. Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
  8. Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
CIP education codes
14.080114.080214.080314.080414.080514.089914.3301

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.