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Major · Engineering Technologies

Run the jobsite — the applied-tech path to construction management

Construction Engineering Technology applies structural engineering principles, building codes, site supervision, and plan interpretation to the work of getting buildings built. About 3,657 degrees are awarded annually across 142 colleges, with bachelor's completers reporting median five-year earnings near $91,190.

Schools offering
142
Annual completions
3,657
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$88k

About this major

Construction Engineering Technology/Technician prepares students to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers, contractors, and other professionals who actually put buildings up. The CIP definition covers structural engineering fundamentals and construction techniques, building site inspection, site supervision, personnel supervision, plan and specification interpretation, supply logistics and procurement, applicable building codes, and report preparation. The coursework is document- and project-centered — students learn to read a full set of construction drawings, estimate material quantities, interpret code requirements, and coordinate the supply chain of a build.

The major fits students who like construction as a managed system: schedules, budgets, crews, codes, and documents — not just the physical craft of building. Comfort with mathematics, spatial reasoning, and organized attention to detail all help, as does a tolerance for outdoor conditions on site visits. Unlike civil engineering, which leans into structural analysis and design theory and typically targets PE licensure, this program is operations-oriented and targets the coordination and delivery side of the construction industry.

At 3,657 annual completions across 142 colleges, this is one of the larger engineering-tech concentrations — though still meaningfully smaller than Civil Engineering at 13,488. The earnings signal is strong: bachelor's completers report median five-year earnings near $91,190, while the associate's path tracks lower at about $73,633. The headline occupation is construction manager, with a BLS median wage of $106,980 and a robust 8.7% projected job growth — the kind of growth rate that meaningfully exceeds the all-occupations average.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Construction managers $107k +8.7% Bachelor's degree
Cost estimators $77k -4.2% Bachelor's degree
Civil engineering technologists and technicians $64k +2.1% Associate's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$88k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$74k

Bachelor's

$91k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you want to coordinate the work of a construction jobsite rather than just perform it, if you are drawn to a mix of fieldwork and office work with site visits alongside scheduling and estimating, if you are comfortable reading technical documents — blueprints, specifications, code requirements — and turning them into execution plans, and if the $106,980 median wage for construction managers with 8.7% projected growth reads as a motivating target rather than an abstraction. The associate's-level path also works well as a direct route into civil engineering technician roles ($64,200 median), which can layer up into management over time.

Think twice if the construction work that draws you is the craft itself — framing, electrical, plumbing, masonry. A construction trades program or apprenticeship is a more direct and often cheaper route and arrives at a paycheck sooner. Think twice also if structural design — load calculations, seismic modeling, geotechnical analysis — is the real interest, because that work sits on the civil engineering side of the wall (13,488 annual completions versus 3,657 here) and typically requires passing the FE exam toward PE licensure that this major does not aim at. Cost estimator roles, one of this major's destinations, are projected to contract by 4.2%, so lean on the construction management path if possible.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Construction Engineering Technology/Technician

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX 0 369 369
University of Houston Houston, TX 0 143 143
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO 0 142 142
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 140 140
Texas State University San Marcos, TX 0 124 124
Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA 0 106 106
California State University-Chico Chico, CA 0 105 105
CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY 18 69 87
University of Florida Gainesville, FL 0 85 85
University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL 0 83 83
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

2,735 completions/yr

Industrial Technology/Technician

1,933 completions/yr

Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician

1,695 completions/yr

Electromechanical/Electromechanical Engineering Technology/Technician

1,104 completions/yr

Chemical Technology/Technician

1,095 completions/yr

Instrumentation Technology/Technician

1,036 completions/yr

Construction Engineering

898 completions/yr

Computer Engineering Technology/Technician

892 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does a Construction Engineering Technology major actually study?
The curriculum covers basic structural engineering principles and construction techniques, building site inspection, site supervision, personnel supervision, plan and specification interpretation, supply logistics and procurement, applicable building codes, and report preparation. Coursework is project-grounded — students learn to read a full set of construction documents, estimate materials, and manage the logistics of a build. It is more operational than academic civil engineering, which sits closer to structural analysis and design.
Where do Construction Engineering Technology graduates actually end up?
The primary destination is construction manager, a BLS occupation with a $106,980 median wage and 8.7% projected job growth — well above average. Cost estimator is the second common path at $77,070, though that occupation is projected to contract by 4.2%. Civil engineering technologists and technicians at $64,200 median represent the more technician-tier destination for associate's completers. The associate's-to-bachelor's earnings gap in this major is meaningful: associate's completers report about $73,633 median at five years, bachelor's completers about $91,190.
Is a bachelor's enough, or do I need more?
A bachelor's is the typical education for construction manager and cost estimator roles per BLS, so the degree at this level is sufficient to enter the intended career path. The associate's also exists and routes more often into civil engineering technician work at $64,200 median. Some graduates pursue additional certifications (OSHA, LEED, PMP) after the degree rather than a graduate degree — those credentials tend to matter more for advancement in this field than a master's would.
How does this compare to a Civil Engineering degree?
Civil Engineering, General (CIP 14.0801) posts 13,488 annual completions — roughly 3.7x this major's 3,657. The civil degree trains for structural and infrastructure design and typically requires passing the FE exam toward licensure. Construction Engineering Technology is a management- and operations-focused degree that typically does not aim at PE licensure. If designing bridges, roads, or buildings is the draw, civil engineering is the direct path. If running the jobsite, managing crews, and delivering projects on time and budget is the draw, this major is the direct path.
How concentrated is the major?
The top programs are heavily Texas-based: Texas A&M-College Station leads with 369 annual bachelor's completions, the University of Houston follows with 143, Texas State University at 124, and Colorado State-Fort Collins at 142. Other significant feeders include Arizona State, Georgia Southern, California State-Chico, University of Florida, University of North Florida, and CUNY City Tech. 142 colleges nationally offer the major, so regional access is broad but flagship-program concentration is real.
What if I like construction but don't want office management work?
The major is built for the site-and-office hybrid. If the pure-site craft side appeals more than scheduling, estimating, and documentation, a construction trades program (carpentry, electrical, or heavy equipment) is a more direct path and may route through an apprenticeship. If the design side — load calculations, structural modeling, geotechnical analysis — draws you, Civil Engineering (13,488 completions) fits better. Construction Engineering Technology fits students who want to coordinate the work, interpret the documents, and sit at the intersection of field and office.