How to hire civil engineering technologists and technicians
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings. • Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer. • Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions. • Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications. • Prepare reports and document project activities and data. • Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements. • Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Associate's degree] • Strong critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension, mathematics, speaking and monitoring skills • Working knowledge of engineering and technology, mathematics, building and construction and design • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $31.23 an hour ($64,950 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for civil engineering technologists and technicians
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What civil engineering technologists and technicians do
- Analyze proposed site factors and design maps, graphs, tracings, and diagrams to illustrate findings.
- Calculate dimensions, square footage, profile and component specifications, and material quantities, using calculator or computer.
- Confer with supervisor to determine project details such as plan preparation, acceptance testing, and evaluation of field conditions.
- Draft detailed dimensional drawings and design layouts for projects to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Prepare reports and document project activities and data.
- Read and review project blueprints and structural specifications to determine dimensions of structure or system and material requirements.
- Report maintenance problems occurring at project site to supervisor and negotiate changes to resolve system conflicts.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Typical education to start: Associate's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +3.2% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 6,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay civil engineering technologists and technicians
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $85,390 |
| California | $83,490 |
| Washington | $79,580 |
| Illinois | $79,190 |
| Minnesota | $78,690 |
| Alabama | $52,750 |
| Georgia | $50,360 |
| Mississippi | $46,430 |
See civil engineering technologists and technicians pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Architectural and Civil Drafters
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters
- Mechanical Drafters
- Drafters, All Other
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians
- Environmental Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
- Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.