Home Schools Oregon State University Construction Engineering
Engineering · Construction Engineering Rank #4 of 14

Construction Engineeringat Oregon State University

Graduates earn $80,936/yr in their first year — about 6.0% above the national Construction Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $949K; scenarios range from $816K to $1,005K depending on AI disruption.

Corvallis, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
76 STRONG
78
Optimistic
74
Pessimistic
Earnings
$80,936
1-year post-graduation
ROI
18.7x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$949K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
53% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Oregon State University

Your path in Construction Engineering from Oregon State directly places you into a specialized, high-demand sector. The solid early-career prospects reflect the program's strong industry connections, particularly within the Pacific Northwest's robust commercial, residential, and infrastructure development. You'll enter roles at general contractors, construction management firms, or heavy civil companies, often starting as a project engineer, field superintendent, or estimator, with a clear trajectory towards project management.

While some routine project tasks are increasingly automated, your value will stem from your ability to oversee complex operations, manage diverse teams, navigate regulatory challenges, and problem-solve on-site. Focus heavily on internships to build practical experience and cultivate strong communication and leadership skills. These human-centric abilities, alongside your technical expertise, are crucial for long-term success and differentiate you in an evolving job market.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$816K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple15.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$949K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score76/100
Earnings Multiple17.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$1,005K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score78/100
Earnings Multiple18.6x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Oregon State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Construction Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Civil engineers
+5.0% 10-yr growth · 23,600 openings/yr
$99,590/yr
High
5
Cost estimators
-4.2% 10-yr growth · 16,900 openings/yr
$77,070/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Construction Engineering

How Oregon State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California State University-Sacramento
CA · Public
80
DW Score
$91K
1-yr earn
41.0x
ROI
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
VA · Public
74
DW Score
$83K
1-yr earn
14.6x
ROI
Same state (OR)
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus
OR · Public
77
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
20.1x
ROI
Iowa State University
IA · Public
76
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
21.7x
ROI
Purdue University-Main Campus
IN · Public
64
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
18.3x
ROI
Also at Oregon State University

Other top programs at Oregon State University

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Oregon State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Construction Engineering at Oregon State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Construction Engineering at Oregon State University?

This program scores 76/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Construction Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.

Will AI replace Construction Engineering careers?

With 47% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $816,076 in decade earnings vs $1,005,022 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.