Occupation · 2026 assessment

Civil Engineer

A Civil Engineer designs, organises or performs construction work and is accountable for design compliance, safety and build quality. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

33%2026
36%2028
40%2030
46%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
reviewing design and site conditions51%
setting out and preparing work46%
calculating materials and loads42%
performing or supervising installation37%
checking geometry and quality31%
maintaining as-built records21%
correcting deviations10%
accepting completed work stages3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1reviewing design and site conditionsAI 51% · human 63%
  2. 2setting out and preparing workAI 46% · human 66%
  3. 3calculating materials and loadsAI 42% · human 72%
  4. 4performing or supervising installationAI 37% · human 74%
  5. 5checking geometry and qualityAI 31% · human 67%
  6. 6maintaining as-built recordsAI 21% · human 81%
  7. 7correcting deviationsAI 10% · human 79%
  8. 8accepting completed work stagesAI 3% · human 81%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • full automation is constrained by variable real-world conditions
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • variable site conditions
  • occupational safety
  • acceptance of the physical result

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$6 250per month
2035$9 050scenario estimate
2026: $6 25020262027: $6 50020272028: $6 80020282029: $7 05020292030: $7 35020302031: $7 65020312032: $8 00020322033: $8 30020332034: $8 65020342035: $9 0502035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Smart Building Automation Specialist

Skill fit 85% · risk 13%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • drawing interpretation
  • building codes
  • cost and quantity control
  • surveying checks
  • occupational safety
  • quality acceptance

Skills to build

  • BIM
  • digital twins
  • laser scanning
  • site drones
  • automated quality inspection
  • robotic installation
CurrentCivil Engineer · 33%
→
Keepdrawing interpretation · building codes · cost and quantity control
→
AddBIM · digital twins · laser scanning

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.