Published by CivilEngineers.com, a Family Office Club project. Built from the published practitioner and industry sources listed below. General education only. How we source.
Civil engineer jobs and pay
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook reports a median annual wage for civil engineers of $100,840 in May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Civil Engineers.
The same BLS page reports 380,600 civil engineer jobs in 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Civil Engineers.
BLS projects civil engineer employment growth of 6 percent from 2025 to 2035. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Civil Engineers.
These are national occupational statistics. Pay and employment vary by location, employer, experience and specialty. Occupational statistics describe workers, not civil engineering firms.
For a staffing discussion, start with what work sits on the project manager's desk besides engineering. A firm president interviewed in an industry publication described placing finance, marketing and recruitment support within business lines to reduce administrative demands on project managers. A consulting-engineering federation CEO also emphasized understanding younger engineers' motivation beyond pay. Ask your operations and HR leaders what support project managers receive and what employees say they want from their work.
Engineering services businesses
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 Statistics of U.S. Businesses reports 45,692 employer firms and 62,590 establishments in NAICS 541330, Engineering Services, with 1,199,635 employees. Source: Census Bureau, 2022 SUSB U.S. and state tables by detailed employment size (row: United States, 541330, Total).
NAICS 541330 covers employer businesses primarily engaged in engineering services of all kinds, not only civil engineering. A firm can operate several establishments (business locations), which is why the establishment count is higher than the firm count. Businesses without paid employees are not included.
National infrastructure assessment
The American Society of Civil Engineers gave U.S. infrastructure an overall grade of C in its 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. Source: ASCE, Report Card release.
The 2025 Report Card assessed 18 infrastructure categories. Source: ASCE, Report Card release.
The Report Card is an ASCE assessment using its published grading framework. It is not a project condition assessment and does not replace engineering inspection or professional judgment.
For an owner, the next question is how infrastructure need becomes authorized work. A firm president interviewed in an industry publication tied infrastructure opportunity to state funding decisions. In a separate published earnings release, company leadership described contracting and notice to proceed delays after selection, alongside difficulty turning backlog into revenue. Review with the project principal which funding decisions and authorizations remain before work can begin and how those affect expected revenue timing.
Design firm rankings
ENR's Top 500 Design Firms ranking covers 500 U.S.-based design firms and ranks them by design specific revenue. Source: ENR Top Lists.
ENR's 2025 Top 500 Design Firms ranks firms by revenue for design services performed in 2024. Source: ENR 2025 Top 500 Design Firms.
ENR includes architecture, engineering and other design firm types. The list is not a census of civil engineering firms, and its revenue ranking should not be read as a measure of technical quality.
Before comparing firm revenue, ask what the reported measure includes. One engineering company's published reporting defined net service billing by subtracting subconsultants and other direct expenses from gross contract revenue. The company reported organic and acquired revenue separately and said acquired revenue is reclassified as organic after four quarters post closing, changing previously reported numbers. Before comparing another firm's growth figures, what revenue measure and acquisition treatment did it use?
Bridge condition
The Federal Highway Administration's 2026 National Bridge Inventory table counts 605,979 highway bridges, of which 40,264 are classified in poor condition (data as of August 4, 2026). Source: FHWA, 2026 Bridge Condition by Functional Classification, Count.
Sources: FHWA Bridge Condition by Functional Classification tables, FHWA National Bridge Inventory.
FHWA's condition classifications apply to bridge inventory data. A poor condition rating does not by itself establish imminent failure or a safety conclusion. Bridge specific decisions require the responsible agency and qualified professionals.
Sources and interpretation
Use the source page or dataset linked beside each number. Preserve the agency's reference period and definition when reusing the figure. Do not combine employment projections, establishment counts, firm rankings and infrastructure condition counts into a single market size estimate.
This page provides educational information only. It is not engineering, legal, tax or investment advice. Licensed PE judgment and local codes govern engineering decisions. Calculators on this site provide estimates only.
