Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways. Civil engineering is traditionally broken down into several sub-disciplines, including:

• Structural engineering: This sub-discipline focuses on the design and analysis of structures that support or resist loads, such as buildings, bridges, and towers.

• Geotechnical engineering: This sub-discipline deals with the behavior of earth materials, such as soil and rock, and their interaction with structures.

• Environmental engineering: This sub-discipline focuses on the protection of the environment and public health, including the design of water and wastewater treatment systems.

• Transportation engineering: This sub-discipline deals with the design and operation of transportation systems, including roads, highways, airports, and railways.

Civil engineering is considered the second-oldest engineering discipline after military engineering, and it is defined to distinguish non-military engineering from military engineering. Civil engineering can take place in the public sector from municipal public works departments through to federal government agencies, and in the private sector from locally based firms to global Fortune 500 companies. Civil engineers work in a variety of locations and conditions, commonly splitting their time between an office setting and construction sites. They typically need a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field to enter the occupation, and they may need a state-issued license if they provide services directly to the public. The median annual wage for civil engineers was $88,050 in May 2021, and employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.