Civil Engineers
Job description
These individuals design, plan, and direct construction or repair projects on engineering structures. These projects involve buildings, land structures, roads, dams, water services, etc. They are self-employed or employed by:
- Consulting engineering firms
- The public service
- Various industrial sectors
- Contractors
Environment
- Controlled ambient temperature
- Climatic conditions
Main tasks
- Talk with clients and members of the engineering team to address complex technical issues.
- Develop specifications and construction methods.
- Evaluate and make recommendations on various building materials.
- Study, interpret, and approve surveys and civil engineering works.
- Prepare and ensure adherence to schedules.
- Conduct feasibility studies and economic analyses on engineering projects or municipal and regional traffic studies.
- Analyze technical data to provide engineering advice and write technical reports.
- Act as project or site manager for survey or construction work.
- Prepare contract documents and reviews bids for construction projects.
- Supervise the work of Technicians, Technologists, and other Engineers.
Advancement and mobility
- There is significant mobility between civil engineering specializations and lower positions.
- Experience leads to senior or supervisory positions.
- These individuals may work in related fields (science, engineering, sales, marketing, management, etc.).
- These individuals may specialize in building analysis, surveying, and geomatics.
Hourly wage
The hourly wage is calculated by averaging wages from 2022 to 2024.- Minimum
- $33.00
- Median
- $48.08
- Maximum
- $68.68
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects for 2024-2028
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2023
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 21.5% Female
- 78.5% Male
- 21.5% Female
- 78.5% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2020
All of Québec
All of Québec
Other characteristics
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
All of Québec
- Non traditional for women
- None
Sectors of activity
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5413, 541443% of jobs
-
NAICS 2321% of jobs
-
NAICS 9117% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
NAICS 48, 493% of jobs
-
Others11% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5413, 541443% of jobs
-
NAICS 2321% of jobs
-
NAICS 9117% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
NAICS 48, 493% of jobs
-
Others11% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Agricultural or rural engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 59.3%
40.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 74.1%
18.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Civil, building or transportation engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 87.5%
8.5% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 81.3%
9% of graduates pursue further studies
Project engineering
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 75%
25% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 79.2%
11.1% of graduates pursue further studies
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec (OIQ [Quebec Order of Engineers]) to practise as an Engineer and carry out their reserved activities.
- Engineer’s permit.
Sometimes required
- Master's or Doctoral degree in a related engineering discipline may be required.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification offered by the Canada Green Building Council may be required.
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Active listening
- System analysis
- Operation analysis
- Oral expression
- Mathematics
- Solving complex problems
- Time management
- Information processing
- Science
- Active learning
- Systems evaluation
- Judgment and decision-making
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Teaching
- Written expression
- Material resource management
- Learning strategies
- Social perception
- Persuasion
- Technological design
- Human resource management
- Negotiation
- Service oriented
Abilities
- Awareness of issues
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Verbal skills
- Inductive reasoning
- Information organization
- Classification
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Mathematical reasoning
- Basic numeracy
- Near vision
- Processing flexibility
- Visualization
- Speech clarity
- Distance vision
- Idea generation
- Perception speed
- Speech recognition
- Originality
- Selective attention
- Information processing speed
Knowledge and attributes
- Capacity to work under pressure
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Respect standards and regulations
- Desire to upgrade one’s competencies
- Knowledge of engineering and technology
- Sense of observation
- Knowledge of buildings and construction
- Knowledge of design
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work with numbers
- Create, design
- Carry out research
- Make technical plans and drawings
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
- Enterprising
- People with this profile prefer having responsibilities, influencing others and responding to challenges.
Official name of the NOC 21300
Civil engineers
Job titles
- Civil engineer
- Municipal engineer
- Bridge engineer
- Construction project engineer
- Structural engineer
- Civil engineering project manager
- Structural engineering project manager
- Survey engineer
- Cartographic engineer
- Civil pipeline engineer
- Civil structural engineer
- Chief civil engineer
- Civil environmental engineer
- Material testing civil engineer
- Appraisal engineer
- Hydraulics engineer
- Hydrographic engineer
- Sanitary engineer
- Civil inspection engineer
- Highway engineer
- Consulting civil engineer
- Reclamation engineer
- Rail transportation traffic engineer
- Airport engineer
- Building envelope engineer
- Dams engineer
- Buildings and bridge engineer
- County engineer
- District engineer
- Traffic engineer
- Spatial information systems engineer
- Water and sewer engineer
- Urban road system engineer
- Soil engineer
- Transportation engineer
- Coastal engineer
- Public works engineer
- Tunnel engineer
- Architectural engineer
- Precision survey engineer
- Structural design engineer
- Drainage design engineer
- Construction engineer
- Land drainage engineer
- Environmental engineer
- Foundation engineer
- Ocean engineer
- Geomatics engineer
- Solid waste management engineer
- Water management engineer
- Hydrological engineer
- Irrigation engineer
- Irrigation and drainage engineer
- Geodetic engineer
- Pollution control engineer
- Navigation and positioning engineer
- Photogrammetric engineer
- Noise abatement engineer
- Water resources engineer
- Public health engineer
- Water systems engineer
- River and canal works engineer
- Asphalt engineer
- Concrete engineer
- Remote sensing engineer
- Water treatment engineer
- Sewage control engineer
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Last update: January 29, 2026