
Civil engineering technicians give technical support to engineers on construction projects.
Salary Range: £14,000 to £45,000

How to become a civil engineering technician
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- an apprenticeship

University
You can do a foundation degree or higher national diploma in civil engineering.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 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
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- equivalent entry requirements
- student finance for fees and living costs
- university courses and entry requirements

College
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
Some knowledge of computer aided design (CAD) software would be useful, for example AutoCAD, PDS or Civil 3D, although courses will usually include options in CAD.
Entry requirements
You may need:
- 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
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T level
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Apprenticeship
You can complete a civil engineering technician advanced apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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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.

What it takes
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

What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Depending on your specialist area, your day-to-day duties may include:
- assisting with initial site surveys
- arranging lab analysis of soil, rock and materials samples
- creating engineering design plans, by hand or with computer aided design (CAD) software
- preparing estimates of labour costs, and the amounts and type of material
- drawing up timescales for the delivery of supplies, equipment and labour
- negotiating with suppliers to get value for money
- inspecting projects and supervising progress
- reporting problems to site managers and preparing 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 and 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.