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Civil Engineer resume skills and keywords

In 216 Civil Engineer job postings from 86 employers analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills are Communication (69 %), PE license (52 %), AutoCAD (50 %), Mentoring (40 %) and Civil 3D (36 %). Of the top 40 skills, 26 are hard skills, tools or certifications and 14 are soft skills.

Download the full list as a CSV or check your own resume against a posting with the free keyword scanner.

Top 40 skills in Civil Engineer job postings

Skills requested in 216 Civil Engineer job postings, by share of postings
SkillShare of postingsType
Communication69 %Soft skill
PE license52 %Certification
AutoCAD50 %Tool
Mentoring40 %Soft skill
Civil 3D36 %Hard skill
EIT30 %Certification
Leadership28 %Soft skill
Permitting25 %Hard skill
Structural analysis23 %Hard skill
Attention to detail21 %Soft skill
Collaboration21 %Soft skill
Project Management20 %Hard skill
Revit18 %Tool
Problem Solving18 %Soft skill
Flexibility17 %Soft skill
Microsoft Office16 %Tool
Surveying14 %Hard skill
Driver license12 %Certification
Building Information Modeling12 %Hard skill
Creativity11 %Soft skill
Geotechnical Engineering10 %Hard skill
Quality control10 %Hard skill
Teamwork10 %Soft skill
Microsoft Excel10 %Tool
Building codes10 %Hard skill
CAD9 %Hard skill
Business development9 %Hard skill
Due diligence8 %Hard skill
Security clearance8 %Certification
Rehabilitation7 %Hard skill
Organizational skills7 %Soft skill
Decision making6 %Soft skill
Accountability6 %Soft skill
Bluebeam6 %Tool
Schematics6 %Hard skill
Procurement6 %Hard skill
Interpersonal skills6 %Soft skill
Environmental Engineering6 %Hard skill
Self-motivated6 %Soft skill
Microsoft Word6 %Tool

Hard skills vs soft skills vs tools and certifications

Hard skills (16)

Soft skills (14)

Tools and software (6)

Certifications and licenses (4)

Keyword phrases recruiters use

Multi-word phrases that recur across these civil engineer postings, with the share of postings that use each one.

employee owned 22 %cost estimates 20 %land development 19 %construction documents 19 %stormwater management 17 %concept through 16 %abet accredited 14 %technical reports 14 %engineering firm 13 %construction administration 13 %engineering discipline 12 %through construction 12 %engineering reports 12 %eit certification 12 %training eit 12 %

How to use this on your resume

Treat the table as a checklist, not a script. Put the skills you genuinely have in your skills section, using the same wording as the posting, and back the top ones with a bullet that shows the result.

Each job posting differs from the average, so compare your resume with the actual ad: paste it into the resume keyword scanner to see which terms you already have and which are missing. The ATS keywords guide explains where to place them so applicant tracking systems read them.

Skip any skill you cannot talk about in an interview; a keyword that falls apart under one question costs more than it gains. For a full layout with these skills in context, see the Civil Engineer resume example. Then prepare for the Civil Engineer interview questions that test them.

Build a civil engineer resume with these skills

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Civil Engineer resume skills: FAQ

Which skills matter most for a Civil Engineer resume?

In 216 Civil Engineer job postings analysed on October 23, 2026, the most requested skills were Communication (69 %), PE license (52 %), AutoCAD (50 %), Mentoring (40 %) and Civil 3D (36 %). Lead your skills section with the ones you can back up, and show them in your experience bullets too.

Should I list soft skills on a Civil Engineer resume?

Yes, but prove them rather than list them. 14 of the top 40 skills in these postings are soft skills, led by Communication (69 % of postings). Show them through results in your bullets, for example a project you coordinated or a process you explained.

Which tools and certifications do Civil Engineer postings ask for?

The tools and certifications named most often were PE license (52 %), AutoCAD (50 %), EIT (30 %), Revit (18 %), Microsoft Office (16 %) and Driver license (12 %). List the ones you have exactly as the posting writes them.

Where does this data come from?

From 216 public Civil Engineer job postings at 86 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from Greenhouse (130), Lever (68) and Ashby (18). A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 216. The data is updated quarterly and can be downloaded as a CSV.

Method and data

Source: 216 public job postings for civil engineer roles (titles such as Structural Engineer, Senior Structural Engineer, Civil Engineer and Senior Civil Engineer) at 86 employers, collected on October 23, 2026 from employer applicant tracking system job boards: Greenhouse 130, Lever 68 and Ashby 18. Employers in the sample include DLR Group, Olsson, BakerHicks, SpaceX, Langan Engineering & Environmental Services and Morrison-Maierle. A skill's share is the number of postings that mention it divided by 216. Updated quarterly. Download the data: civil-engineer-resume-skills.csv (CC BY 4.0). Browse skills for other roles.