Civil Engineering Technician Job Description
A civil engineering technician is primarily responsible for using his or her knowledge regarding civil engineering to plan, design, and then oversee the construction of various facilities and buildings.
Some of the more specific tasks that a civil engineering tech must take on include:
- Drafting extremely detailed design layouts and dimensional drawings for projects while ensuring that he or she is conforming to set specifications
- Calculating square footage, dimensions, and material quantities by using a computer or calculator
- Reading and reviewing structural specifics and blueprints to determine material requirements and the structure’s dimensions
- Analyzing proposed project factors
- Designing graphs, diagrams, maps, and tracings to demonstrate findings
- Documenting activities and data relating to the project as well as preparing necessary reports
- Conducting field surveys to analyze the details of a project site or to analyze new project sites
- Working with the supervisor to determine the details of the project including acceptance testing, an evaluation of the field conditions, and plan preparation
- Estimating costs for the utilization of facilities, the installation of systems, and/or the construction of structures
- Conducting materials analysis and tests
- Inspecting project sites
- Evaluating contractor work at project site to ensure conformance to project specifications
- Reporting maintenance issues that take place at the project site
Civil Engineering Technician Training Requirements
Most companies prefer that their civil engineering technician have an associate’s degree or two-year degree from a community college, vocational school or technical school. Ideally, this degree would be in engineering technology or a related field of study.
While most employers don’t require their civil engineering technicians to be certified, certification is available and can give you a competitive edge over others searching for job vacancies.
In order to be a successful civil engineering technician, you need to know the following:
- How to use tools, equipment, and mechanical devices
- Understanding of mathematics including algebra, arithmetic, calculus, geometry, and statistics
- How to utilize design techniques, tools, instruments, and principles
- Understanding of electric circuit boards, chips, computer hardware and software, and processors
- Understanding of legal codes, laws, precedents, court procedures, agency rules, government regulations, the democratic political process, and executive orders
- How to use various methods to describe the location and distribution of sea, air, and land masses including their relationships, locations, and characteristics
- Understanding of physical principles, applications, and laws including material dynamics, air, light, water, heat, earth formations, atomic principles, meteorological natural phenomena, and electric theory
- How to use various tools and machines
- Understanding of outputs, inputs, waste, costs, raw materials, techniques for maximizing manufacturing, and quality control
Also, a civil engineering technician will need to stay up to date on new technological advances or techniques.
Civil Engineering Technician Average Salary
According to Salary.com, the average annual salary for a civil engineering technician was $50,534 in 2019.
If you enjoy engineering and are looking for a stable career that comes with decent pay, consider training to become a civil engineering technician!