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Career · Building and installation

Civil engineer

Calculates and checks construction solutions so that buildings and structures are reliable and meet the design requirements.

What a day looks like

Imagine working in a design team developing a small public building. This is an illustrative day, rather than a set of construction instructions. In the morning, you study the architect's revised layout and the available information: dimensions, room uses and site data. You need to understand the loads the structure will carry and the project's constraints. First, you check whether important information is missing. An unknown parameter cannot simply be replaced by a guess.

You then create a calculation model and compare possible solutions. Software produces numbers, but the engineer checks the assumptions, units and meaning of the results. If a movement looks unusual, you look for a modelling error before choosing a thicker component. After lunch, you discuss support positions with the architect, and materials and work sequences with colleagues. A small layout change may require recalculating an entire part of the structure. You record the changes and send updated drawings for review.

On another day, some time might involve quality checks or an organised site visit under the employer's rules. Today, you remain in the office, comparing documents, listing questions and reviewing material quantities for a cost estimate. Before leaving, a senior engineer checks your calculations and explains their comments. You revise the file and record its version. This work rewards justified decisions, awareness of risk and willingness to ask for an independent check.

Try it yourself this week

  • 30 minutes

    Draw a sketch of a shelf bracket with measurements

    1. Find a shelf or stand at home and look at what holds it up. Don't unscrew anything.
    2. On squared paper, draw a side view and a top view of a bracket that could hold a shelf like this.
    3. Mark the measurements with arrows. To get them, measure the real shelf with a tape measure.
    4. Think it over and write down: which part takes the most load, and how would you make it stronger?

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you find it interesting to be precise and to think about strength in advance.

  • 40 minutes

    Work out the cost of redoing your room, on paper

    1. Use a tape measure to measure the length and width of the walls and write the sizes in a notebook.
    2. Think about what you'd change: paint the walls, replace the floor, add shelves.
    3. Make a table: what you need, how much, and roughly what price range you'd look for in a shop or online. Don't buy anything.
    4. Check you haven't forgotten anything: tools, preparing the walls, cleaning up after the work.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like planning and calculating in advance, or would rather get straight to work.

  • 30 minutes

    Measure your room and draw a plan with the furniture

    1. Take a tape measure and measure the walls of the room and the width of the window and door.
    2. Draw a plan to scale on squared paper: one square equals a length you choose in advance.
    3. Measure the furniture and add it to the plan at the same scale.
    4. Try moving the furniture around on paper and find the most comfortable layout.

    What you'll learn about yourself: Whether you like working with exact measurements and picturing in your head how everything will fit.

What you can do next

  1. Next 3 months

    • Convert dimensions to one scale

      Complete t08 and label the units. Convert three dimensions back to their original values to check that the scale is consistent.

    • Draw a component instead of building it

      Complete t07 on paper, marking dimensions and assumed loads. Do not attach anything to walls or test it on people.

  2. In six months

    • Compare paper shapes

      Fold two tabletop models from identical sheets. Compare how they change under a gentle finger press. This is a learning model, not a test of a real structure.

    • Prepare an illustrative cost estimate

      Complete t05 on paper. Separate materials, quantities and imaginary prices, record assumptions and check the total another way.

    • Investigate an error in a calculation

      Ask a teacher for a problem with an incorrect unit or dimension. Explain the error and make a short checking list.

  3. In a year

    • Assemble three engineering reports

      Present your plan, model and estimate with their goals, input data, assumptions, results and limits. Do not describe learning models as safe for real construction.

    • Explore engineering programmes and work

      With a parent or adviser, compare university programmes and attend an official open day. Ask about calculations, design reviews and safe supervised learning.

What it pays

Pay varies by region, experience and employer. The figures below are approximate ranges from public sources.

United States

  • All levelsstatistics

    100,840 $ per year

    before tax · data: May 2025 · checked: October 2026

    Median employee pay for civil engineers in the United States in May 2025; the occupational group covers more than building design. This is neither entry-level pay nor an estimate for Kazakhstan.

    Source: bls.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where to study

Universities

You apply after grade 11, based on your UNT results.

How to get into college

College gets you a profession faster than university. You can apply after grade 9 or after grade 11.

  • Colleges accept students both after grade 9 and after grade 11. After grade 9 you study longer — about 3 years 10 months; after grade 11, about 2 years 10 months. The exact length depends on the college and the specialty.
    Source: kchk.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • About 80% of students admitted to colleges in the 2024/25 school year study on a state order, which means in state-funded places (in 2023/24 it was about 70%). But each college and each specialty has its own number of state-funded places.
    Source: inbusiness.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • There are also paid colleges. For example, training as a nurse at ADILMED costs 450,000 ₸ per year. Check the price and conditions on the college's website.
    Source: adilmed.kz (opens in a new tab)
UNT: which subjects to take for university

The UNT (Unified National Testing) is Kazakhstan's national university entrance test. You need it to get into university after grade 11.

  • The UNT 2026 has three compulsory subjects: History of Kazakhstan, Reading Literacy and Mathematical Literacy. On top of these, you take two profile subjects, chosen to match your specialty.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • In total, the test has 120 questions (maximum 140 points) and you get 4 hours. The format is the same as in 2025.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Profile subjects depend on the group of specialties. For example: information technology — Mathematics and Computer Science; nursing and veterinary medicine — Biology and Chemistry; electrical engineering — Mathematics and Physics; law — World History and Fundamentals of Law. The full list is published by the National Testing Center.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • For creative specialties (for example, media and design), you take History of Kazakhstan and Reading Literacy through the UNT, and two creative exams at the university itself.
    Source: testcenter.kz (opens in a new tab)
  • Some universities have their own admission rules. Nazarbayev University, for example, requires a UNT score of at least 85, a GPA of 4.0 and English at IELTS 6.0 level.
    Source: nu.edu.kz (opens in a new tab)

Courses and opportunities

Opportunities near this field

Can you work before you turn 18?

Under Kazakhstan's Labour Code, teenagers can work, but with limits.

History of the career

John Smeaton was among the first specialists to call themselves civil engineers. ASCE describes how his work helped define the roles of consulting and resident engineers. His best-known project was the Eddystone Lighthouse, built between 1757 and 1759. Its design used knowledge of natural forces, material behaviour and mathematical principles; interlocking stones helped the structure resist waves.

Smeaton made models, tested ideas and kept detailed records. His work illustrates a shift from individual craft experience towards reasoned engineering decisions. Modern software makes calculations faster, but engineers still need to check assumptions, document decisions and take responsibility for their quality.

Source: asce.org (opens in a new tab)

Well-known people in this field

  • John Smeaton

    British engineer who designed the Eddystone Lighthouse. ASCE recognises his contribution to civil engineering and engineering consultancy.

    Source: asce.org (opens in a new tab)

Article sources

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