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 2020 to 2022.- Minimum
- $29.29
- Median
- $42.74
- Maximum
- $60.00
Job prospects for 2022-2026
sr.comparaison-region.titre
Job prospects for 2022-2026
Job prospects
All of Québec
All of Québec
Total jobs for 2021
All of Québec
All of Québec
Gender distribution
All of Québec
- 20.2% Female
- 79.8% Male
- 20.2% Female
- 79.8% Male
Job types
All of Québec
- Full time
- Part time
- Full time
- Part time
Yearly wage on 2015
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, 541441% of jobs
-
NAICS 2320% of jobs
-
NAICS 9116% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54173% of jobs
-
Others15% of jobs
All of Québec
-
NAICS 5413, 541441% of jobs
-
NAICS 2320% of jobs
-
NAICS 9116% of jobs
-
NAICS 225% of jobs
-
NAICS 5416, 54173% of jobs
-
Others15% of jobs
Training and requirements
Formation
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
- System analysis
- Operation analysis
- Active listening
- Oral expression
- Mathematics
- Solving complex problems
- Time management
- Science
- Information processing
- Active learning
- Systems evaluation
- Judgment and decision-making
- Coordination
- Result evaluation
- Teaching
- Written expression
- Material resource management
- Social perception
- Persuasion
- Learning strategies
- Technological design
- Human resource management
- Negotiation
- Service oriented
Abilities
- Oral comprehension
- Verbal skills
- Information organization
- Deductive reasoning
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Classification
- Written comprehension
- Written expression
- Mathematical reasoning
- Basic numeracy
- Processing flexibility
- Near vision
- Visualization
- Speech clarity
- Idea generation
- Perception speed
- Speech recognition
- Distance vision
- 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.
Note about CNP
Occupational information is provided based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016. The 5-digit code of the NOC 2021 is shown in parentheses for information purposes only for occupations that correspond to those of NOC 2016.
Official name of the NOC 2131 (21300)
Civil engineers
Job titles
- Civil engineer
- Municipal engineer
- Bridge engineer
- Construction project engineer
- Structural engineer
- Surveying engineer
- Mapping engineer
- Civil pipeline engineer
- Civil structural engineer
- Chief civil engineer
- Civil environmental engineer
- Material testing civil engineer
- Appraisal engineer
- Hydraulics engineer
- Hydrographic engineer
- Sanitation engineer
- Civil inspection engineer
- Highway engineer
- Reclamation engineer
- Rail transportation traffic engineer
- Airport engineer
- Dams engineer
- Buildings and bridge engineer
- County engineer
- District engineer
- Traffic operations engineer
- Spatial information systems engineer
- Building envelope 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
- Consulting civil engineer
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Last update: April 28, 2023
