National Occupational Classification (NOC): 21300
Fast Facts
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Sample Job Titles
- Bridge engineer
- Civil engineer
- Construction engineer
- Environmental engineer
- Geomatics engineer
- Highway engineer
- Hydraulics engineer
- Public works engineer
- Structural engineer
- Surveying engineer
What do civil engineers do?
Civil engineers plan, design, develop and manage projects for the construction or repair of buildings, earth structures, powerhouses, roads, airports, railways, rapid transit facilities, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams, ports and coastal installations and systems related to highway and transportation services, water distribution and sanitation. They may also specialize in foundation analysis, building and structural inspection, surveying, geomatics and municipal planning. They are employed by engineering consulting companies, in all levels of government, by construction firms and in many other industries, or they may be self-employed.
Civil engineers perform some or all of the following duties:
- Confer with clients and other members of the engineering team and conduct research to determine project requirements.
- Plan and design major civil projects such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, water and waste management systems and structural steel fabrications.
- Develop construction specifications and procedures.
- Evaluate and recommend appropriate building and construction materials.
- Interpret, review and approve survey and civil design work.
- Conduct field services for civil works.
- Ensure construction plans meet guidelines and specifications of building codes and other regulations.
- Establish and monitor construction work schedules.
- Conduct feasibility studies, economic analyses, municipal and regional traffic studies, environmental impact studies or other investigations.
- Monitor air, water and soil quality and develop procedures to clean up contaminated sites.
- Conduct technical analyses of survey and field data for development of topographic, soil, hydrological or other information and prepare reports.
- Act as project or site supervisor for land survey or construction work.
- Prepare contract documents and review and evaluate tenders for construction projects.
- Supervise technicians, technologists and other engineers and review and approve designs, calculations and cost estimates.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
Civil engineers primarily work in the following subsectors (NAICS) in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- 541 Professional, scientific and technical services
- 237 Heavy and civil engineering construction
- 912 Provincial and territorial public administration
- 221 Utilities
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada.
Short and Long Term Occupational Projections
Short Term Projections for 2025-2027
The employment outlook will be moderate for civil engineers in Newfoundland and Labrador (rating of 3 out of 5) for the 2025-2027 period.
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Number of Job Postings in 2025
During 2025, there were 27 public job postings for this occupation, with the following distribution:
| Avalon: 78% | Western: 0% |
| Eastern: 0% | Labrador: 19% |
| Central: 4% | NL-unspecified: 0% |
Source: Vicinity Jobs (note: data used in this analysis reflects new unique monthly postings which are totaled for the calendar year).
Who works as civil engineers in Newfoundland and Labrador?
During the reference week of May 2021, there were approximately 820 people working in this occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 84% of those employed were Male+ and 17% of those employed were Female+.
Here is the age group breakdown for this group of workers:
| 15 to 24 | 25 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65+ |
| 2% | 80% | 11% | 7% |
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada.
How much do civil engineers make?
Annual Earnings
The median employment income for all civil engineers in the reference year 2020 (915 workers in total, including those working part-time and full-time, as well as part-year and full-year) was $96,000.
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada.
Hourly Earnings
Salary information for civil engineers in Newfoundland and Labrador is as follows:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $35.11 | $51.15 | $74.82 |
The following low, median, and high wages are for Canada:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) |
| $32.00 | $48.56 | $72.12 |
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Most Frequently Sought Skills from Job Postings (2025)
- Project management
- Teamwork
- Communication skills
- Engineering design knowledge
- Interpersonal skills
- Writing
Source: Vicinity Jobs
What training is required?
- A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or in a related engineering discipline is required.
- A master’s degree or doctorate in a related engineering discipline may be required.
- Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
- Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is offered by the Canada Green Building Council and may be required by some employers.
- There is considerable mobility between civil engineering specializations at the less senior levels.
- Supervisory and senior positions in this unit group require experience.
- Engineers often work in a multidisciplinary environment and acquire knowledge and skills through work experience that may allow them to practise in associated areas of science, engineering, sales, marketing or management.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
* Find public and private education, training and skills development opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador here.