Who's on the clock?

Civil Engineers vs Mechanical Engineers

Civil engineers spend 46m of a shift on tasks AI or robots touch; mechanical engineers spend 1h 8m. Here is how pay, outlook and training compare.

Time card for civil engineers: 46m of an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robotsTime card: Civil Engineers →

Home / Compare

Civil engineers or mechanical engineers: which will AI change more? AI and robots touch more of the day for mechanical engineers: 1h 8m of an 8-hour shift, against 46m for civil engineers. Mechanical engineers earn more, a median of $104,110 against $100,840.

Civil Engineers
46mof an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robotsLess AI time
  • 7h 14mDone by people
  • 0mPeople do it with AI's help
  • 0mAI mostly does it alone
  • 46mRobots have done it somewhere
Median pay
$100,840
U.S. workers
368,000
Outlook to 2035
+6.4%
Openings a year
23,000
Typical preparation
Bachelor's degree
See the full time card →
Mechanical Engineers
1h 8mof an 8-hour shift touched by AI or robots
  • 6h 52mDone by people
  • 0mPeople do it with AI's help
  • 1h 8mAI mostly does it alone
  • 0mRobots have done it somewhere
Median pay
$104,110
U.S. workers
297,000
Outlook to 2035
+11.2%
Openings a year
18,000
Typical preparation
Bachelor's degree
See the full time card →

Civil Engineers

Where AI or robots show up most

  • Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards. 46m

Biggest tasks still done by people

  • Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems or structures, using computer-assisted design or drawing tools. 1h 4m
  • Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications. 52m
  • Direct engineering activities, ensuring compliance with environmental, safety, or other governmental regulations. 46m

Mechanical Engineers

Where AI or robots show up most

  • Read and interpret blueprints, technical drawings, schematics, or computer-generated reports. 29m
  • Recommend design modifications to eliminate machine or system malfunctions. 17m
  • Provide technical customer service. 17m

Biggest tasks still done by people

  • Research, design, evaluate, install, operate, or maintain mechanical products, equipment, systems or processes to meet requirements. 1h 20m
  • Confer with engineers or other personnel to implement operating procedures, resolve system malfunctions, or provide technical information. 46m
  • Specify system components or direct modification of products to ensure conformance with engineering design, performance specifications, or environmental regulations. 29m

Swap in a different job Highlighted numbers are the higher of the two. Hours are estimates from each job's time card.