How to hire a civil engineer/project manager

How to hire a civil engineer/project manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step civil engineer/project manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a civil engineer/project manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new civil engineer/project manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a civil engineer/project manager, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A civil engineer/project manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, civil engineer/project managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of civil engineer/project managers.

   Type of Civil Engineer/Project Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Civil Engineer/Project Manager	Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and maintain construction projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.	$29-54
   Structural Designer	A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.	$22-40
   Structural Design Engineer	A Structural Design Engineer designs drawings, specifications, and computer models of structures for building contractors. They help design hospitals, office blocks, houses, bridges, ships, and other structures.	$25-50

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Civil 3D
   • Project Management
   • Business Development
   • Site Development
   • Hec Ras
   • Construction Management
   • Project Scope
   • Design Projects
   • Construction Administration
   • CAD
   • Geotechnical
   • Site Design
   • GIS
   • Civil Engineering Design

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage new and retrofit projects for households, retail, commercial, and industrial applications.
   • Deliver product quality initiatives including audit procedures and staff training to achieve and maintain ISO and CMMI certification.
   • Manage various wastewater capital improvement projects.
   • Manage collocation facility and service delivery infrastructure.
   • Manage fiber restoration and network maintenance activities, which include the scheduling of maintenance windows and participation in maintenance window events.
   • Use of IBC & OSHA latest codes.

   More civil engineer/project manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your civil engineer/project manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A civil engineer/project manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, civil engineer/project managers' average salary in hawaii is 43% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level civil engineer/project managers 46% less than senior-level civil engineer/project managers.
   • Certifications. A civil engineer/project manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a civil engineer/project manager's salary.

   Average civil engineer/project manager salary

   $83,264yearly

   $40.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level civil engineer/project manager salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average civil engineer/project manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$104,177	$50
   2	Oregon	$97,020	$47
   3	Virginia	$93,640	$45
   4	Colorado	$90,561	$44
   5	Pennsylvania	$88,342	$42
   6	New York	$85,978	$41
   7	Missouri	$84,046	$40
   8	Oklahoma	$82,769	$40
   9	New Jersey	$82,025	$39
   10	Florida	$79,809	$38
   11	Rhode Island	$79,021	$38
   12	Minnesota	$78,937	$38
   13	Massachusetts	$76,019	$37
   14	Texas	$75,871	$36
   15	Ohio	$74,832	$36
   16	District of Columbia	$73,133	$35
   17	North Carolina	$72,812	$35
   18	Indiana	$71,694	$34
   19	Arizona	$71,114	$34
   20	Georgia	$70,593	$34

   Average civil engineer/project manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Woods Services	$90,630	$43.57
   2	Carollo Engineers	$89,449	$43.00	115
   3	Sherwood Design Engineers	$89,101	$42.84	10
   4	Boxer Property	$88,966	$42.77
   5	Burns & McDonnell	$88,406	$42.50	276
   6	Randstad North America, Inc.	$86,096	$41.39	7
   7	Sambatek	$86,049	$41.37	4
   8	TAIT & Associates	$85,408	$41.06	24
   9	HDR	$84,853	$40.79	238
   10	Dibble	$84,550	$40.65	16
   11	ERM	$84,418	$40.59	18
   12	Cannon	$84,265	$40.51	13
   13	Michael Baker	$84,082	$40.42	68
   14	Peas	$83,834	$40.30	2
   15	Amec Foster Wheeler	$83,834	$40.30
   16	CES	$83,834	$40.30	9
   17	Nicholson Construction Company	$83,834	$40.30	4
   18	Colorado State Express	$83,834	$40.30
   19	The Alpha Corporation of Tennessee Inc	$83,739	$40.26	9
   20	Snc-lavalin Project Services, Inc.	$83,326	$40.06

4. Writing a civil engineer/project manager job description

   A good civil engineer/project manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a civil engineer/project manager job description:

   Civil engineer/project manager job description example

   • Must have a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, from an accredited college
   • Must be registered as a Professional Engineer (PE) in Colorado
   • Minimum 10 years of relevant experience required
   • Minimum 5 years of Project Management experience in Commercial Land Development (preferred that this experience is in the Denver metro area)

   LOCATION: This opportunity is in our Denver office location

   COMPENSATION:

   COMPENSATION: Annual Base Salary Range: $115,000-$130,000 DOE. The expected salary range for this position is displayed in accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The final agreed upon compensation is based on the successful candidate's individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. The total annual compensation package will consist of a base salary and consideration to participate in our discretionary annual bonus incentive program.

   ABOUT DIBBLE

   Founded in 1962, we provide a full range of civil engineering services to public and private sector clients across Arizona, Colorado, and the Southwestern United States. Our broad market expertise offers the ability to deliver complete engineering solutions from concept to closeout. Our business is built on honesty, ethics, accountability, quality, and service.

   Our people-focused culture is important, and we consider our employees to be our greatest asset. This culture is why we have so many long-term employees that have been with our firm between 15 and 35 years. Our employees enjoy an industry-leading benefits program , the ability to balance their home and work life, opportunities for growth and development, company activities, and various opportunities to give back through community service.

   READY TO JOIN OUR ENGINEERING TEAM?

   If you feel that you would be right for this opportunity, please fill out our initial 5-minute, mobile-friendly application on our website . We look forward to meeting you!

   Dibble is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status .

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

   To find civil engineer/project managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any civil engineer/project managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level civil engineer/project managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your civil engineer/project manager job on Zippia to find and recruit civil engineer/project manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dribbble, authentic jobs, working not working, coroflot.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with civil engineer/project manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new civil engineer/project manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect civil engineer/project manager candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new civil engineer/project manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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