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Job outlook for district engineers in the United States
Are district engineer jobs in demand?
District engineer job and salary trends over time
District engineer jobs over time
District engineer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,096 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 1,381 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 1,618 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 1,612 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 1,587 | 0.00% |
Average district engineer salary over time
District engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $69,422 | $33.38 | --0.3% |
| 2025 | $69,619 | $33.47 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | $69,341 | $33.34 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | $66,869 | $32.15 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $64,821 | $31.16 | --1.4% |
District engineer jobs by state
Most common states for district engineers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 241 | 35% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 984 | 12% |
| 3 | Delaware | 961,939 | 93 | 10% |
| 4 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 541 | 9% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 360 | 9% |
| 6 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 627 | 8% |
| 7 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 581 | 8% |
| 8 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 471 | 8% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 57 | 8% |
| 10 | California | 39,536,653 | 2,694 | 7% |
| 11 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 384 | 7% |
| 12 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 69 | 7% |
| 13 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 595 | 6% |
| 14 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 404 | 6% |
| 15 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 211 | 6% |
| 16 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 182 | 6% |
| 17 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 123 | 6% |
| 18 | Hawaii | 1,427,538 | 79 | 6% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 74 | 6% |
| 20 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 35 | 6% |
Most common cities for district engineers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laurel | 2 | 8% | $64,157 |
District Engineer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of district engineer experts
University of New Mexico
University of Pittsburgh
Ohio University
University of Texas at Tyler
Rockhurst University
University of North Dakota
University of Miami
George Fox University
Pace University
Alabama A&M University
Weber State University
University of Hawaii at Manoa
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Boise State University
University of Houston/Clear Lake
Northeastern University
Dakota County Technical College
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Susan Halter PhD, PE, F.ASCE: There is a critical need for infrastructure to address growth and to update older facilities. In addition, the U.S. government has committed significant funding for infrastructure improvement, which will require civil engineers to see it through.
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Robert Enick: Many people find petroleum engineering to be a very satisfying career because it produces the fuel that drives a substantial portion of the world economy. Petroleum engineers are also at the forefront of geologic disposal of CO2 in aquifers that is in its infancy now but it likely to grow dramatically in the immediate future. Petroleum engineering is also very appealing to people who enjoy 'hands-on' type of work and some travel. Petroleum engineers may also have the opportunity to work on off-shore platforms on a schedule that involves working 12-hr days for 7 days in a row, and then getting 2 weeks off. Some people may dislike petroleum engineering because it produces fuels that, once burned to generate heat or power, release CO2 into the atmosphere. Some consider petroleum engineering to be 'dirty' type of work. Some may think that given the interest in renewable energy that this field will not be around long enough for their career.
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Bhaven Naik PhD, PE, PTOE, RSP: By being proactive … researching the current job salaries – ASCE have a great site for doing that. By continuous learning … getting licensure (PE, PTOE etc.) and also a Master’s degree (Civil or MBA).
Dr. Mena Souliman Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.
Ronald D. Brazzel Endowed Professor of Civil EngineeringUniversity of Texas at Tyler
Civil Engineering
What general advice would you give to a District Engineer?
Dr. Mena Souliman Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.: Civil engineering is a solid profession to enter for several reasons. First, there's a growing demand for infrastructure development globally, which creates job opportunities. Second, civil engineering offers a diverse range of career paths, from transportation to environmental engineering, providing flexibility and options for specialization. Additionally, advancements in technology are reshaping the field, offering opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. Lastly, civil engineers play a crucial role in addressing pressing issues like sustainability and resilience, making it a meaningful career choice for those who want to make a positive impact on society and the environment.
What District Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Mena Souliman Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.: Civil engineers handle a wide range of tasks daily, such as designing infrastructure, managing construction projects, analyzing data, and ensuring compliance with regulations. Someone entering the field might start with more hands-on work like site inspections, drafting plans, or assisting senior engineers in project management. Over time, they'll likely take on more responsibilities and eventually lead projects themselves.
What District Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
John Kevern Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE, FACI, LEED AP: Communicating effectively both written and verbally is and always is hugely important. This includes the ability to utilize AI successfully to write and check documents as a tool but not as a crutch.
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Andreas Michael Ph.D.: If you want to enjoy success in petroleum engineering, you have to stay in the field long-term, making sure you grow deep, solid 'roots.' Retention matters. Historically, truly successful individuals held a well-balanced, multifaceted domain knowledge within the field.
What District Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Joseph Reichenberger PE [CA AZ HI NM NV], BCEE, F.ASCE: Infrastructure is on the minds of governments and funding agencies have supported
infrastructure. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in November 2021,
authorized $1.2 trillion dollars for a variety of infrastructure projects.
From: https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/infrastructure-investment-in-the-united-states
Civil engineers are involved in most if not all of these types of projects. So the job market for
civil engineers for the near term is excellent.
Afifa Mushtaque in an article published 03102024 entitled "20 Highest Paying Countries for Civil
Engineers" https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/20-highest-paying-countries-for-civil-engineers-
1271941/, stated the global civil engineering market is looking for major growth as $13.7 trillion
dollars is expected by 2030 and forecasts a compound annual growth rate of nearly 6% from
2023 to 2030.
Civil engineering has generally always been a good field for jobs. Civil engineering jobs tend to
follow the housing market so it is not all roses. There was a significant reduction in employment
for civil engineers, along with many others in the early 1980s and recently in the recession in
2010 or so. But the recovery has been substantial and continuing as stated above.
We are blessed with an influx of well prepared, young graduates with skills in the latest
technology replacing retiring civil engineers. Our typical class here at Loyola Marymount
University (LMU) typically has 30 to 40% women. It is a great profession for women and work
force is quite diverse.
Esber Andiroglu PhD, PE, LEED AP
Associate Professor of Practice, Dept. of Civil & Architectural Engineering, Director of Construction Management ProgramsUniversity of Miami
Architectural Engineering
What general advice would you give to a District Engineer?
Esber Andiroglu PhD, PE, LEED AP: Interdisciplinary and transformative design and construction approaches; integration of emerging technological innovations into practice; integration of software tools into everyday problem solving; solid knowledge about smart systems and AI applications; good understanding and ability to use data analytics
Ben Giudice Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Civil EngineeringGeorge Fox University
Department of Mechanical, Civil, and Biomedical Engineering
What soft skills should all District Engineers possess?
Ben Giudice Ph.D.: Soft skills are vital in civil engineering, and the ones that are most important at the early stages of people's careers include both written and oral communication. Writing memos and reports, emails, talking to people in the field or on the phone - all of these are incredibly important to civil engineering.
What District Engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ben Giudice Ph.D.: If you like working with people and serving your community, being a civil engineer can be very rewarding. You can also contribute to a healthier environment by developing more environmentally friendly designs. There is a wide variety of different kinds of work that civil engineers do, as it is a very broad discipline. Because of this, it is likely that something within civil engineering will excite and interest you. I haven't known anyone who was a civil engineer that disliked it! Compared with other engineering disciplines, the pay is not quite as high on average, but there are generally more opportunities available on a more consistent basis, and there are jobs available everywhere in the world nearly all the time.
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Ben Giudice Ph.D.: There is a huge demand for civil engineers across the nation. All of the junior civil engineering students at George Fox University this year had internships for the summer lined up by the end of March. Every senior either had a job offer signed by the end of March, or had multiple offers they were still weighing. The need for civil engineers will never go away, as society will always need qualified civil engineers to support all aspects of civilization. You can also work nearly anywhere in the world, as practically wherever there are people, there is a need for civil engineering.
James Albrecht
Professor of Criminal Justice and Homeland Security, retired NYPD Captain/Commanding OfficerPace University
Criminal Justice and Homeland Security Department
What hard/technical skills are most important for District Engineers?
James Albrecht: There are basic phenomena that all civil engineers have to understand and fully comprehend. These are the skills that you will learn in detail in books in college or at your training site. But a top-tier civil engineer must not only be acutely familiar with the project objectives but also must be exceptionally aware of the environment in which the building or structure has been or will be placed. As such, one must be cognizant of potential hazards posed by climate or people. There may be expressed concerns or mandates about building in hurricane, tornado or flooding prone areas, but a civil engineer must take into consideration population density, proximity to a high-value person, structure, or historic site (e.g., City Hall, electric company, Liberty Bell, etc.), and potential for mass casualty or extreme damage if attacked by radical elements or rioters. Unfortunately, this is the world that we live in today.
Pooja Preetha Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorAlabama A&M University
Department of Mechanical and Civil Engineering
What skills stand out on District Engineer resumes?
Pooja Preetha Ph.D.: According to my previous experiences, they are a combination of soft skills like creative thinking, problem-solving and hard skills like strong math and project management with the knowledge of tools like AutoCAD and GIS.
What will help District Engineers increase their earning potential?
Dr. A. Tye Gardner Ph.D.: Getting a master's degree goes a long way to making candidates stand out and improving earnings. My recommendation is to tailor your MS degree to the specific field you're interested in working in, because employers really want to see candidates that are passionate about the field, and very few people survive a graduate degree without at least a little passion. Available salary data indicates that if you choose an affordable program (let's just say Weber State University), it takes only a few years to pay off the added cost, increases starting salaries, and dramatically improves long-term earning potential. Moreover, you can find electrical engineers with MBAs at C-level positions all over the country. It turns out being an EE makes you a good candidate for business leadership.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the District Engineer job market given the pandemic?
Panos Prevedouros Ph.D.: Most jobs will be in engineering disciplines needed for infrastructure maintenance, upgrade, and replacement. Also, a lot of new developments have been deferred by the pandemic, so if there is no surprise in the lending rates, development will grow and possibly skyrocket in 2022 and beyond.
Engineering disciplines related to transit will shrink. Transit has lost about 80 percent of its riders and is unlikely to regain many of them for reasons such as depleted municipal budgets, people's desire to avoid dense crowds even after the pandemic ends, and robocars presence in five to ten years.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on District Engineers?
Dr. Bret Lingwall Ph.D.: No. The pandemic was timed with a recession, creating a low market for new graduates right now. However, like all economic downturns, the pandemic will pass, and the private sector will recover. The good news for civil engineers is that the public sector is broadly poised to continue making significant infrastructure investments. This means that the jobs market will be resilient in civil engineering. When you take the long view, difficult times happen every decade or so. The market always recovers and graduates continuously adapt. You have to think of the pandemic as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
What experience really stands out on District Engineer resumes?
Nick Hudyma PhD PE: Internship and coop experiences have always stood out on resumes. I believe students should augment their resumes with a civil engineering portfolio. When students showcase their academic work, especially analysis and design projects, to potential employers, they will have a much more engaging conversation during their interviews.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for District Engineers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Thomas L. Harman: Computer Engineering, which combines aspects of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, has been important in every advance in electronics technology over many decades. Examples include Personal Computers, the internet, the Internet of Things, and many medical applications and advances. Designing and maintaining these systems and products requires a thorough knowledge of modern hardware and software available to a designer.
Therefore, areas of the country with technical hubs for innovation are likely places for employment.
Link
Houston:
Top industries/employers: aeronautics, tourism, science, technology, medicine and healthcare, research, energy, renewable resources (wind, solar), manufacturing, transportation, education, oilfield equipment, entertainment and media, fashion, banking, real estate, distribution, and transportation.
Houston has manufacturing, medical, and space industries that rival any city in the U.S.
Houston, Austin, and Dallas/Fort Worth are cities in Texas.
What are the best companies to work for a District Engineer?
Nik Brown Ph.D.: Small companies, labs, or think tanks are given a lot of responsibility as a recent graduate.
Alan Hancock
Civil Engineering Technology InstructorDakota County Technical College
Civil Engineering Technologies
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on District Engineers?
Alan Hancock: Not at all. Highway construction was one of the first to open up, and we are considered "essential," always. During COVID, we still had an 85% graduate placement rate. Usually, it is 500%, meaning 100% for the last ten years have had their pick of about five excellent jobs each. It will and is picking up every day.