Civil engineering certifications differentiate experienced civil engineering professionals from others in the field. They show that you have a specialized skillset, which can help you land high-level roles in the industry. They are also an indication of your commitment to education and excelling in the civil engineering field.
Are you looking to get a certification in civil engineering? This article contains a list of the highest-paying civil engineering certifications, resources to prepare for certifications for civil engineering, and whether a civil engineering certification is worth it.
What Is a Professional Certification?
A professional certification is a designation earned by a person who has proven that they have the knowledge, skills, and experience to succeed in a particular job role. It is earned when an individual passes an exam developed by an organization that sets and upholds the prescribed standards for the industry involved.
What’s the Difference Between a Certification and a Certificate?
The main difference between a certification and a certificate lies in the course content and program outcomes. A certificate program is academic and provides students with the fundamental knowledge to build a career or remain competitive in specific fields. A certificate program is shorter and less expensive than a bachelor’s or master’s civil engineering program.
On the other hand, third-party organizations award certifications to professionals who demonstrate mastery in a particular field of study or work. They require experience and may have stringent academic requirements.
Why Is Certification in Civil Engineering Important?
A certification in civil engineering is important because it offers advantages such as professional credibility, specialized skills, and increased earning potential. Graduates of a course offering a certification in civil engineering can have access to higher salaries.
According to the Project Management Institute, civil engineers with project management professional certifications earn higher median salaries that are 16 percent more than those without a PMP certification.
Best Civil Engineering Certifications by Salary
| Certification | Provider | Average Salary | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Management Professional (PMP) | Project Management Institute | $111,000 | $405 for PMI members; $555 for non-PMI members |
| Certified Construction Manager (CCM) | Construction Manager Certification Institute | $97,000 | $325 for CMAA members; $425 for non-CMAA members |
| Certified Building Commissioning Professional (CBCP) | Association of Energy Engineers | $90,000 | $300 for in-person exam; $400 for remote exam |
| LEED AP Building Design + Construction (LEED) | Green Business Certification Inc. | $87,000 | $250 for USGBC members; $350 for non-USGBC members |
| Certified Safety Director (CSD) | National Association of Safety Professionals | $82,000 | $595 |
| Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer (D.WRE) | American Academy of Water Resources Engineers | $70,303 | $300 for ASCE members; $400 for non-ASCE members |
| Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE) | Academy of Geo-Professionals | $68,629 | $300 for ASCE members; $400 for non-ASCE members |
| Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC) | EnviroCert International | $65,000 | $325 |
| Certified Survey Technician (CST) | National Society of Professional Surveyors | $52,227 | $180 |
| Autodesk Certified Professional in Civil 3D for Infrastructure Design (ACP) | Autodesk, Inc. | $52,000 | $200 |
Best Civil Engineering Certifications to Further Your Career
This is the most widely-recognized certification in the world for project management. It provides professional engineers with project leadership experience and the skills necessary to succeed in project-oriented roles. It also provides people, process, and business environment skills with an emphasis on predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches.
Project Management Professional Overview
- Average Salary: $111,000
- Cost: $405 for PMI members; $555 for non-PMI members
- Requirements: A bachelor’s degree, 36 months of project lead experience, and 35 hours of project management education or CAPM certification. Alternatively, a high school diploma or associate degree with 60 months of project lead experience and 35 hours of project management education or CAPM certification
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 180 multiple-choice, multiple-response, matching, hot area, and limited fill-in-the-blank questions in 230 minutes
- Best Suited For: People who want to hold leadership positions in the industry
Potential Careers With Project Management Professional
This certification is awarded by the Construction Manager Certification Institute, the administrative arm of the Construction Management Association of America. It certifies civil engineers who have the education and experience to offer professional construction management services at the highest level of quality.
Certified Construction Manager Overview
- Average Salary: $97,000
- Cost: $325 for CMAA members; $425 for non-CMAA members
- Requirements: A minimum of four years of construction management experience. A college degree is required if you don’t have enough professional experience
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 200 multiple-choice questions in 5 hours
- Best Suited For: People who want to increase their standing in the construction industry
Potential Careers With Certified Construction Manager
This certification recognizes professionals with the highest level of knowledge and expertise in the energy industry. It aims to raise the professional level of standards in building systems commissioning. It is highly recognized by the US Department of Energy and the US Agency for International Development.
Certified Building Commissioning Professional Overview
- Average Salary: $90,000
- Cost: $300 for in-person exam; $400 for remote exam
- Requirements: Undergraduate degree in architecture or an engineering field and a minimum of three years of experience
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: Four hours
- Best Suited For: Energy professionals who oversee building commissioning projects
Potential Careers With Certified Building Commissioning Professional
This certification was specifically designed to distinguish professionals with expertise and experience in the design and construction of green buildings. The exam measures a civil engineer’s knowledge and skills in using the LEED rating system and availability in project execution.
LEED AP Building Design + Construction Overview
- Average Salary: $87,000
- Cost: $250 for USGBC members; $350 for non-USGBC members
- Requirements: Applicants must hold a current LEED Green Associate credential and have experience working on LEED-registered projects
- Valid For: Two years
- Exam Length: 100 multiple-choice questions
- Best Suited For: Civil engineers with experience in constructing green buildings in the commercial, residential, education, and healthcare sectors
Potential Careers With LEED AP Building Design + Construction
This certification shows that a civil engineer can effectively organize the safety practices of project and work sites without assistance or external supervision. It helps confirm that they have the critical skills to develop active safety plans for construction projects and become competent safety directors.
Certified Safety Director Overview
- Average Salary: $82,000
- Cost: $595
- Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and three years of professional experience, Associate degree and four years experience, or high school diploma and five years experience. Must also hold one of the credentials listed on the website
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 150 multiple-choice questions. Must be completed in 3 hours
- Best Suited For: A civil engineer interested in moving into construction site safety management
Potential Careers With Certified Safety Director
This is the highest level of certification for professionals in water resources engineering. It demonstrates mastery in the water resources engineering field, allowing holders to be recognized as leaders. It also demonstrates a strong commitment to learning and raising the standards of civil engineering.
Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer Overview
- Average Salary: $70,303
- Cost: $300 for ASCE members; $400 for non-ASCE members
- Requirements: A master's or doctoral degree in engineering or other relevant fields with 10 years of engineering experience in water resources
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: Oral exam lasting two hours at most
- Best Suited For: Civil engineers in the water resources engineering field
Potential Careers With Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer
This is the most reputable designation in the geotechnical engineering field. It was created in 2008 to recognize engineers who have demonstrated advanced knowledge, expertise, and competence in the specialized field of geotechnical engineering.
Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering Overview
- Average Salary: $68,629
- Cost: $300 for ASCE members; $400 for non-ASCE members
- Requirements: A master's degree or PhD in Engineering or other relevant fields with eight years of experience in geotechnical engineering
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: Oral exam of 1 hour
- Best Suited For: Professionals who want to land high-profile positions in the geotechnical engineering field
Potential Careers With Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering
This certification focuses on the study and reduction of negative effects of environmental pollution. It identifies professionals who have a high level of expertise and experience in preparing stormwater pollution prevention plans. It is also the only professional certification recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control Overview
- Average Salary: $65,000
- Cost: $325
- Requirements: High school diploma or GED and a minimum of 7 years of professional experience
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: Five hours
- Best Suited For: Civil engineers whose scope of work includes land management, land development, and land disturbances
Potential Careers With Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control
This certification is offered by the National Society of Professional Surveyors and gauges the technical capabilities and workplace safety knowledge of survey technicians. It has four levels of certification. It also serves to identify professionals who have achieved a high level of technical competence in the surveying and mapping profession.
Certified Survey Technician Overview
- Average Salary: $52,227
- Cost: $180
- Requirements: Applicants are required to demonstrate more detailed knowledge of survey computations, types of surveys, and field operations
- Valid For: One year
- Exam Length: Four to 6 hours of multiple-choice questions
- Best Suited For: People who want to build a career in the survey and mapping field
Potential Careers With Certified Survey Technician
This certification is awarded to civil engineering professionals who have advanced Civil 3D infrastructure design skills. It demonstrates that they have a comprehensive skillset to solve complex challenges in workflow and design.
Autodesk Certified Professional in Civil 3D for Infrastructure Design Overview
- Average Salary: $52,000
- Cost: $200
- Requirements: A minimum of 1,200 hours of Civil 3D software experience
- Valid For: Three years
- Exam Length: 45 to 60 questions in 2 hours
- Best Suited For: Professionals who want to gain proficiency in the Autodesk design software
Potential Careers With Autodesk Certified Professional in Civil 3D for Infrastructure Design
How to Choose the Best Civil Engineering Certification for Your Career
The best civil engineering certifications will help you maintain a high level of knowledge and skill to succeed in leadership positions. But there are many certification options, and it could be difficult to choose the right one for you. Here are some factors to consider when selecting the best civil engineering certification for your career.
Consider Your Career Goals
Certain certifications help develop the specialized knowledge to delve into other types of engineering fields. For instance, civil engineers who want to branch into survey and mapping would benefit from the Certified Survey Technician Certification. Getting certifications that are related to your career interests can provide the required skills to land your dream jobs.
Investigate if a Certification Is Popular Among Civil Engineers
Check whether a particular certification is popular among other civil engineers. If yes, then it might be best if you get the certification to remain competitive in the industry. You should reach out to people who have obtained the certification to inquire about its value.
Research a Certification’s Outcomes
Research the advantages of getting a certification in civil engineering and how it can impact your career. For instance, if you are looking for a salary increase, you may want to consider the PMP certification. According to the Earning Power Management Salary Survey, professionals with a PMP certification earn 16 percent more than people without it.
Which Civil Engineering Certifications Pay the Most?
The civil engineering certifications that pay the most are the project management professional, certified construction manager, certified building commissioning professional, certified safety manager construction, and LEED AP Building Design + Construction.
Highest-Paying Civil Engineering Certifications
- Project Management Professional: $111,000
- Certified Construction Manager: $97,000
- Certified Building Commissioning Professional: $90,000
- LEED AP Building Design + Construction: $87,000
- Certified Safety Director: $82,000
Which Civil Engineering Certifications Are the Best for Beginners?
The best civil engineering certifications for beginners are Certified Survey Technicians and Certified Building Commissioning Professionals. Compared to other certifications in this guide, these certifications have simple experience requirements and can easily be earned by entry-level civil engineers.
Best College Certificate Programs
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How to Prepare for Your Civil Engineering Certification Exam
You can prepare for your civil engineering certification exam by using civil engineering exam prep materials including online engineering courses, books, online communities, and websites. There is a wide range of learning options that candidates can utilize to study the required knowledge needed to ace certification exams.
Best Courses to Prepare for Civil Engineering Certification Exams
This section contains a list of the best civil engineering prep courses that civil engineers can take to prepare for civil engineering certification exams. Some certifications offer preparatory courses to prepare students for the certification examination requirements.
- Cost: $699 for members; $799 for non-members
- Duration: 35 hours
- Best Suited For: Project Management Professional
This official online preparatory course by PMI equips students with the project management knowledge to pass the PMP certification examination. Its coursework includes agile and hybrid approaches, project governance, and project method and practices.
- Cost: $1,750 for AEE members; $1,995 for non-members
- Duration: 32 hours over four days
- Best Suited For: Certified Building Commissioning Professional
This program teaches students about the best practices for commissioning building projects and prepares students to successfully pass the CBCP exam. It covers all the technical details of the commissioning process in infrastructure projects, from the pre-design phase to the operations phase.
- Cost: $1,795 for NASP members; $1,995 for non-members
- Duration: 40 hours
- Best Suited For: Certified Safety Director
This course provides basic knowledge of safety topics, including workplace safety, chemical safety, confined space, scaffolding, and personal protective equipment. It provides the primary safety knowledge that students need to pass the Certified Safety Director certification exam.
- Cost: $45
- Duration: Self-paced, 100 questions
- Best Suited For: LEED AP Building Design + Construction
This course contains 100 practice questions to prepare students for the LEED AP Building Design certification. It also includes a bonus pep talk with a veteran LEED AP to help candidates build their confidence for the exam.
- Cost: $375
- Duration: 8 hours
- Best Suited For: Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control (CPESC)
The EnviroCert Review Course ensures that candidates have a good understanding of every topic that will be tested in the CPESC exam. It teaches the crucial details necessary for passing the exam. But it doesn't go into the deeper details because candidates are required to be familiar with the topics.
Other Resources to Prepare for Your Civil Engineering Certification Exams
Apart from courses, candidates can also utilize other civil engineering prep resources to prepare for a certification exam. They can read books, learn from online websites, and even join an online community of fellow candidates to gain the necessary knowledge to pass the exam.
LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook
This book covers current policies and procedures of the LEED AP exams. It also contains the knowledge domains for the building and construction exams, including the LEED process, integrative strategies, location and transportation, and sustainable sites.
LEED AP with Specialty Candidate Handbook Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: People who want to take the LEED exams
EnviroCert General Principle Review Manual
This study guide outlines the rules and guidelines of the CPESC exam. It identifies the specific body of knowledge of civil engineering that is tested in the certification exam. It also contains conversions, glossaries, worksheets, and equations.
EnviroCert General Principle Review Manual Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: $50 for paperback; $150 for hardcover
- Ideal For: Candidates who want to take the CPESC exam
PMI Certification Handbook
This book provides all the important information that certification applicants need to know before they take the PMP exam. It contains useful tips and key details on what to expect during the examination.
PMI Certification Handbook Overview
- Type of Resource: Book
- Cost: Free
- Ideal For: Candidates who want to take the PMP examination
Best Online Courses
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Civil Engineering Job Outlook and Average Salary
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), civil engineer jobs will grow by eight percent between 2020 and 2030. This is as fast as the general job outlook for all occupations and translates to about 25,000 new openings for civil engineers per year in the next decade. Civil engineers earn an average annual salary of $88,050.
Best Civil Engineering Jobs After Certification
The best civil engineering jobs after certification are construction manager, environmental engineer, design engineer, geotechnical engineer, and licensed land surveyor. Getting civil engineering certifications can qualify you for high-paying positions in the civil engineering industry.
A civil design engineer uses computer software to create technical design drawings for a licensed architect and engineer to use in construction project management. They use software like AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and SolidWorks.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Autodesk Certified Professional in Civil 3D for Infrastructure Design. This certification shows that civil engineers have ample experience using the Civil 3D software.
Environmental engineers use their knowledge of engineering, soil science, chemistry, and biology to create innovative solutions to environmental problems. They research the environmental impacts of construction projects and come up with actionable design solutions to reduce the adverse effects of pollution.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control. It certifies that the civil engineer has the necessary knowledge to protect the environment from the negative impacts of pollution.
A construction manager coordinates the construction of roads, buildings, bridges, and other structures. They create construction plans and budgets and supervise the construction phases from start to finish. They are also responsible for hiring subcontractors and other staff.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Construction Manager. This certification demonstrates that a civil engineer has the critical skills to direct and coordinate a construction project.
Geotechnical engineers evaluate soil and rock to determine the success and feasibility of a construction project. They carry out test analyses to investigate the risks or ecological hazards on a worksite.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Diplomate, Geotechnical Engineering (D.GE). This certification demonstrates that an individual has applicable knowledge and competence in the geotechnical field.
Land surveyors measure the shape of the land. They collect data on the shape and contour of the earth for civil engineering projects. They employ maps, GPS, surveying instruments, and satellite imaging to mark the location of legal property lines.
Best Certification for the Job Role
Certified Survey Technician. This certification proves that surveyors have the experience and expertise to handle the surveying role in large construction projects.
Best Civil Engineering Associations
The best civil engineering associations are the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), and the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). These professional bodies foster development, collaboration, and competence in the civil engineering profession.
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
This is the oldest engineering society in the United States. Founded in 1852 to support civil engineering professionals, it has over 150,000 members from more than 177 countries. It offers technical and professional conferences and programs to advance civil engineering specialties. You can join by choosing a membership cadre and paying the application processing fee.
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE)
Founded in 1818, this is the oldest engineering association in the world. It is a professional membership body of over 95,000. It aims to advance the civil engineering profession through professional qualification, professional programs, and partnerships with government, industry, and academia. You can join by choosing a membership package and paying the application form fee.
International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE)
This scientific association of professionals in the structural engineering field has members in 90 countries and 58 national groups worldwide. Its primary mission is to encourage collaboration and exchange of knowledge between structural engineers. Aspiring members can join through student membership, individual membership, and collective membership plans.
Are Civil Engineering Certifications Worth It?
Yes, civil engineering certifications are worth it because they boost civil engineering skills, increase your earning potential, enhance your knowledge, and help you establish professional credibility. They also provide a competitive advantage. When you have a civil engineering certification that your competitors don’t have, it sets you apart and establishes you as the best person for the job.
Additional Reading About Civil Engineering
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Civil Engineering Certifications FAQ
The most important certifications for civil engineers are Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment Control, Certified Construction Manager, LEED AP Building Design + Construction, and Certified Safety Director.
The seven fields of civil engineering are structural engineering, construction engineering and management, geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering, water resource engineering, and materials engineering.
Yes, PMP is worth it for civil engineers. It is a great certification for civil engineers who want to gain a deeper understanding of the field and build a career in project management. It will help civil engineers plan and implement civil engineering projects more efficiently.
The most demanded branches of civil engineering include geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, environmental engineering, and water resource engineering. Upon successful completion of a course or a degree, civil engineers can pursue a career path in a wide range of civil engineering jobs in the public and private sectors. Also, obtaining a higher-level degree like a PhD in Civil Engineering will give you access to a wider variety of roles.
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