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Construction Engineering Technologies Degree

45 schools compared · Average earnings $71,755/yr

Students study practical construction management skills including cost estimation, project scheduling, blueprint reading, building codes, and site supervision techniques. Graduates typically pursue careers as construction managers, project coordinators, building inspectors, and estimators for general contractors and development companies. The construction industry offers strong advancement opportunities from technician to project leadership roles.

What Construction Engineering Technologies Graduates Do

You’ll translate complex designs into tangible reality, working where digital plans meet the physical world. Many graduates start on-site as project engineers, assisting a construction manager. Your days will be spent coordinating subcontractors, solving unexpected supply chain issues, and ensuring the project stays on schedule and budget—a management path with strong growth. Others begin in the office as a cost estimator, meticulously analyzing blueprints to price out a job, or as a civil engineering technician, using CAD to draft plans and testing the strength of concrete and soil samples. The pure cost estimator role, however, is facing some headwinds.

With a moderate level of AI exposure, your daily work will change substantially. AI will automate significant chunks of routine tasks, like performing initial cost takeoffs or generating basic site logistics plans. This doesn't mean the jobs are disappearing, but your focus will shift. Your value will come from managing the chaos of a live construction site, validating AI outputs against real-world conditions, and making critical judgment calls that software can’t. Adaptability is no longer a soft skill; it’s a core requirement for success.

Schools Offering

Avg Grad Earnings

$71,755/yr

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

65/100

AI Automation Risk

Very High

56% task exposure

Common Career Paths

Where Construction Engineering Technologies graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 69,200 combined openings per year.

Career Path	Salary Range	Openings/yr	Growth	AI Risk
Construction managers	$106,980 $83K$139K	46,800	+8.7%	44%
Cost estimators	$77,070 $60K$100K	16,900	-4.2%	50%
Civil engineering technologists and technicians	$64,200 $52K$80K	5,500	+2.1%	59%

Construction managers

$106,980

$83K $139K

46,800 openings/yr +8.7% growth 44% AI risk

Cost estimators

$77,070

$60K $100K

16,900 openings/yr -4.2% growth 50% AI risk

Civil engineering technologists and technicians

$64,200

$52K $80K

5,500 openings/yr +2.1% growth 59% AI risk

Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).

Best Schools for Construction Engineering Technologies

Top 20 of 45 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

#	School	DW Score	Earnings	ROI
1	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	74 71–76	$89,003/yr	40.4x
2	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	74 71–75	$87,960/yr	36.4x
3	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	73 70–74	$79,410/yr	43.2x
4	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	72 69–74	$79,352/yr	35.2x
5	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	72 69–74	$78,716/yr	36.7x
6	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	71 68–72	$77,139/yr	26.8x
7	University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL	71 68–72	$75,407/yr	34.9x
8	Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Stillwater, OK	71 68–72	$73,900/yr	24.6x
9	Florida International University Miami, FL	71 67–72	$73,602/yr	34.1x
10	Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA	71 67–72	$67,235/yr	42.0x
11	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	70 67–71	$78,423/yr	18.5x
12	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	70 67–71	$77,799/yr	18.3x
13	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	70 67–71	$76,646/yr	20.1x
14	Kansas State University Manhattan, KS	70 66–71	$74,253/yr	20.5x
15	University of Houston Houston, TX	70 67–71	$73,694/yr	23.4x
16	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	70 66–71	$72,116/yr	23.4x
17	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University Tallahassee, FL	70 66–71	$70,804/yr	36.4x
18	Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY	70 66–71	$69,942/yr	25.1x
19	University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE	69 66–71	$71,797/yr	21.7x
20	CUNY New York City College of Technology Brooklyn, NY	69 65–70	$67,476/yr	27.7x
21	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	69 65–70	$67,450/yr	19.2x
22	Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC	69 65–70	$63,401/yr	46.0x
23	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	68 65–69	$74,518/yr	15.1x
24	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	68 64–69	$67,199/yr	26.6x
25	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	67 64–68	$77,949/yr	18.9x
26	University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR	67 64–68	$71,845/yr	21.2x
27	Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KY	67 63–68	$63,013/yr	18.6x
28	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	65 61–66	$66,780/yr	14.9x
29	Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX	65 61–66	$61,068/yr	17.2x
30	University of Toledo Toledo, OH	64 60–65	$65,585/yr	15.0x
31	University of Maine Orono, ME	64 60–65	$65,540/yr	14.7x
32	Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN	64 60–65	$58,954/yr	18.8x
33	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	62 58–63	$88,648/yr	26.5x
34	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	60 57–61	$81,608/yr	23.6x
35	Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL	59 55–60	$65,994/yr	50.1x
36	Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX	58 55–59	$70,481/yr	21.4x
37	Washington State University Pullman, WA	57 54–58	$80,404/yr	14.5x
38	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	57 54–58	$78,253/yr	15.2x
39	North Dakota State University-Main Campus Fargo, ND	57 53–58	$74,199/yr	16.1x
40	Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN	57 54–59	$68,284/yr	19.3x
41	University of North Texas Denton, TX	56 53–57	$72,266/yr	15.2x
42	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA	53 48–54	$58,151/yr	13.4x
43	Temple University Philadelphia, PA	49 46–51	$72,240/yr	7.2x
44	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	47 42–48	$53,310/yr	8.3x
45	Missouri Western State University Saint Joseph, MO	47 43–48	$47,141/yr	11.0x

Highest Earning Construction Engineering Technologies Programs

Schools where Construction Engineering Technologies graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School	1-Year Earnings	DW Score
California State University-Long Beach	$89,003/yr	74
California State University-Chico	$88,648/yr	62
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	$87,960/yr	74
San Diego State University	$81,608/yr	60
Washington State University	$80,404/yr	57
University of Florida	$79,410/yr	73
California State University-Northridge	$79,352/yr	72
California State University-Fresno	$78,716/yr	72
Colorado State University-Fort Collins	$78,423/yr	70
Arizona State University Campus Immersion	$78,253/yr	57

Best ROI for Construction Engineering Technologies

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Construction Engineering Technologies.

School	ROI Multiple	Earnings	DW Score
Seminole State College of Florida	50.1x	$65,994/yr	59
Western Carolina University	46.0x	$63,401/yr	69
University of Florida	43.2x	$79,410/yr	73
Georgia Southern University	42.0x	$67,235/yr	71
California State University-Long Beach	40.4x	$89,003/yr	74
California State University-Fresno	36.7x	$78,716/yr	72
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	36.4x	$87,960/yr	74
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	36.4x	$70,804/yr	70
California State University-Northridge	35.2x	$79,352/yr	72
University of North Florida	34.9x	$75,407/yr	71

Want to compare two Construction Engineering Technologies programs side by side? Use the comparison tool →

Related Majors

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Consider the Trade Route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Construction Engineering Technologies offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Construction Engineering Technologies graduates earn?

Across 45 schools, Construction Engineering Technologies graduates earn an average of $71,755 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $47,141 to $89,003 depending on the school.

What is the AI automation risk for Construction Engineering Technologies?

Construction Engineering Technologies is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 56% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.

Which school has the best Construction Engineering Technologies program?

Based on our DegreeOutlook Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), California State University-Long Beach ranks #1 for Construction Engineering Technologies with a score of 74/100 and graduate earnings of $89,003/yr.

What's the outlook for a Construction Engineering Technologies degree?

On average, Construction Engineering Technologies graduates earn 23.9x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a strong return on investment.

Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →