Civil Engineers build complex problem solving, systems analysis and time management skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (81%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Architects, Except Landscape and Naval | 81% | $99,280 | −2% | Graduate degree |
| 2 | Construction Managers | 80% | $114,990 | +14% | None |
| 3 | Water Resource Specialists | 77% | $167,220Pay for the broader BLS group “Natural Sciences Managers” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | 77% | $141,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Managers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 5 | Materials Scientists | 72% | $117,790 | +17% | None |
| 6 | Transportation Planners | 72% | $101,110Pay for the broader BLS group “Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Civil Engineering Technologists and Technicians | 71% | $64,950 | −36% | None |
| 8 | Construction and Building Inspectors | 70% | $74,690 | −26% | None |
| 9 | Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers | 70% | $101,920 | +1% | None |
| 10 | Architectural and Engineering Managers | 69% | $171,270 | +70% | Graduate degree |
Compared with Civil Engineers, median $100,840. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as civil engineers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
81% skill match · $99,280 · −2% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Coordination · Judgment and Decision Making
80% skill match · $114,990 · +14% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Quality Control Analysis · Negotiation
77% skill match · $167,220 (broader BLS group)
Operations Monitoring · Quality Control Analysis · Operation and Control
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (81% skill match, median $99,280), Construction Managers (80% skill match, median $114,990) and Water Resource Specialists (77% skill match, median $167,220), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 5 pay more than civil engineers at the median. The biggest increases: Architectural and Engineering Managers (+70%, $171,270), Database Architects (+38%, $139,500) and Materials Scientists (+17%, $117,790).
22 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones. 3 usually need a graduate degree: Architects, Except Landscape and Naval, Architectural and Engineering Managers and Environmental Restoration Planners.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.