Civil Engineering Technician

Typical Salary

£19,000 To £40,000

Typical Hours

45 to 47 a week

evenings / weekends on shifts

How To Become a Civil Engineering Technician

You can get into this job through:

a university course
a college course
an apprenticeship

College / University

You can do a foundation degree or higher national diploma in civil engineering.

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science

1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma

You can take a college course that would teach you some of the skills needed to become an engineering technician. Relevant courses include:

Level 2 Certificate in Construction and the Built Environment
Level 3 Diploma in Civil Engineering
T level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You can complete a Level 3 civil engineering technician apprenticeship.

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

maths knowledge
knowledge of engineering science and technology
design skills and knowledge
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
knowledge of building and construction
the ability to work well with others
the ability to use your initiative
to be flexible and open to change
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

Day To Day Tasks

Depending on your specialist area, you could:

assist with initial site surveys
arrange lab analysis of soil, rock and materials samples
create engineering design plans, by hand or with computer aided design (CAD) software
prepare estimates of labour costs, and the amounts and type of material
draw up timescales for the delivery of supplies, equipment and labour
negotiate with suppliers to get value for money
inspect projects and supervise progress
report problems to site managers and prepare reports for engineers

Working Environment

You could work in an office or on a construction site.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could progress to supervisory or site management roles, or specialise in particular areas of the job, like construction design or estimating.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Institution of Civil Engineers for professional development opportunities.

Further information

You'll find more advice about careers in engineering from the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.