People Team AI Ask about a date

How exposed to AI is a Civil Engineer?

Of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for civil engineers, 2 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 6 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
City EngineerCivil EngineerCounty EngineerDesign EngineerEngineerGeotechnical EngineerLicensed EngineerProject EngineerRailroad Design ConsultantStructural Engineer
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
17
tasks rated for this occupation
100%
hold a degree, from a survey of 21
304k
people do this job in the US
30 of 56
least protected in architecture and engineering

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

2
  • Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data
  • Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions

Only with software built on top

9
  • Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations
  • Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools
  • Estimate quantities and cost of materials, equipment, or labor to determine project feasibility
  • Design energy-efficient or environmentally sound civil structures
  • Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects
  • Conduct studies of traffic patterns or environmental conditions to identify engineering problems and assess potential project impact
  • Analyze manufacturing processes or byproducts to identify engineering solutions to minimize the output of carbon or other pollutants
  • Develop or implement engineering solutions to clean up industrial accidents or other contaminated sites
  • Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes

Cannot be sped up

6
  • Manage and direct the construction, operations, or maintenance activities at project site
  • Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards
  • Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications
  • Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, program modifications, or structural repairs
  • Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction
  • Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.