How To Become A Junior Civil Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a junior civil engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Karen Panetta Ph.D.,

George Deodatis

Junior civil engineers work on public construction projects like roads and buildings. They usually operate under the supervision of civil engineers and are familiar with engineering design and principles. Junior engineers focus on tasks like mathematical calculations, blueprints, and other project specifications.

A day in the life of a junior civil engineer involves using computer programs to create drawings, assembling materials and documentation for contractors, and reviewing current plans. Junior civil engineers usually submit their designs to supervising civil engineers for approval.

As a junior civil engineer, you may also oversee the workflow of a project. This may include visiting sites to gather data, meeting with contractors, or liaising between the engineering and construction workers. They may work alongside senior engineers to create schedules.

To become a junior civil engineer, you need a bachelor's degree in engineering. Many junior civil engineers also possess advanced degrees and are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

What general advice would you give to a junior civil engineer?

Karen Panetta Ph.D.

Dean of Graduate Education, School of Engineering, Tufts University

This is a different generation of graduates, and many employers are going to want to know how you dealt with and responded to the COVID crisis. The response to this tells so much about an individual's ability to deal with and overcome adversity. They seek innovative, upbeat, and definite answers that show that students are prepared for anything and will be resourceful.

They are also looking to see what personal actions and community involvement students participated in. For instance, online tutoring for kids whose parents needed help homeschooling their kids while they worked, or using their engineering skills to 3D print PPE for local nursing homes and other at-risk populations.

Every engineering student comes out with technical skills, but the ones that used them, and showed their compassion for humanity, will be the ones that companies will want to hire.

ScoreJunior Civil EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $75,301

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 17.71%

Black or African American 3.53%

Hispanic or Latino 10.41%

Unknown 4.57%

White 63.48%

Gender

female 20.56%

male 79.44%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a junior civil engineer

Explore junior civil engineer education requirements

Most common junior civil engineer degrees

Bachelor's

76.9 %

Master's

11.0 %

Associate

6.9 %

Start to develop specific junior civil engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Civil 3D	18.42%
Data Collection	9.72%
Technical Reports	6.00%
Construction Projects	5.74%
Design Software	5.33%

Complete relevant junior civil engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior civil engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior civil engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior civil engineer resumes.

Research junior civil engineer duties and responsibilities

Calculate sub-contractors weekly accomplish work for payroll.
Serve as COR on all construction contracts.
design, civil engineering, structural, HVAC, and construction aspects.
Conduct systems engineering surveillance on GPS satellite design and build for the DoD.

Prepare your junior civil engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your junior civil engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a junior civil engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable junior civil engineer resume templates

Build a professional junior civil engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your junior civil engineer resume.