A civil engineer in Chile earns between CLP 1.7 million and CLP 2.5 million gross a month in the fourth year after graduating, depending on the institution, according to the Employment and Income Search Tool of Mi Futuro, run by the Undersecretariat of Higher Education. The top bracket, CLP 2.4 million to CLP 2.5 million, belongs to graduates of PUC, U. Técnica Federico Santa María and U. Católica del Norte.
The tool lists 20 Civil Engineering programs, 16 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 2.03 million. On average, 84.3% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 90.3% in their second. This guide explains how much a civil engineer earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much a civil engineer earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 2.4 to 2.5 million | PUC, U. Técnica Federico Santa María, U. Católica del Norte | 3 |
| CLP 2.3 to 2.4 million | U. de Chile, U. de los Andes | 2 |
| CLP 2.1 to 2.2 million | U. de Concepción | 1 |
| CLP 2.0 to 2.1 million | U. Adolfo Ibañez, U. de Santiago de Chile, U. Andrés Bello | 3 |
| CLP 1.9 to 2.0 million | Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. Diego Portales, U. San Sebastián | 3 |
| CLP 1.8 to 1.9 million | U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 1 |
| CLP 1.7 to 1.8 million | U. del Bío-Bío, U. Austral de Chile, U. Tecnológica Metropolitana | 3 |
| No data | U. de La Serena, U. del Desarrollo, U. Católica de Temuco, U. de La Frontera | 4 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Civil Engineering (20 programs, 16 with income data), accessed November 13, 2026. According to the search tool's methodology, income is the average gross monthly pay of 2018, 2019 and 2020 graduates in their fourth year after graduating, calculated with data from the Internal Revenue Service (SII) and expressed in September 2025 pesos. The employment rate is the share of graduates earning at least the minimum wage in their first or second year. Programs with few cases show "no information" (s/i). The highest bracket the tool publishes runs from CLP 2.5 to 3 million.
The tool splits the degree into two entries: Civil Engineering in Civil Works (8 programs, 6 with income data) and Civil Engineering with a common track and a bachelor's in Engineering Sciences (12 programs, 10 with income data), where students choose a specialty later. This article combines them. The top bracket, CLP 2.4 to 2.5 million, is shared by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Universidad Católica del Norte and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. They are followed by Universidad de los Andes and the University of Chile (CLP 2.3 to 2.4 million) and the University of Concepción (CLP 2.1 to 2.2 million).
The CLP 2.0 to 2.1 million bracket includes the University of Santiago, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and Universidad Andrés Bello; the CLP 1.9 to 2.0 million bracket, Universidad Diego Portales, the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso and Universidad San Sebastián. The lowest brackets, CLP 1.7 to 1.8 million, belong to Universidad Austral, the Metropolitan Technological University and the University of Bío-Bío. The gap between the top and bottom brackets is about CLP 700,000 a month.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | 2.4 | 97.1% | 95.1% |
| Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María | 2.4 | 94.4% | 96.1% |
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 2.4 | 93.8% | 94.6% |
| Universidad de Chile | 2.3 | 93.4% | 95.5% |
| Universidad de los Andes | 2.3 | 88.8% | 91.6% |
| Universidad de Concepción | 2.1 | 84.4% | 90.2% |
| Universidad Adolfo Ibañez | 2.0 | 88.3% | 87.4% |
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 2.0 | 85.9% | 92.3% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 2.0 | 75.4% | 85.5% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 1.9 | 84.2% | 90.3% |
| Universidad Diego Portales | 1.9 | 83.8% | 87.5% |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 1.9 | 76.5% | 81.2% |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 1.8 | 73.3% | 85.8% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 1.7 | 79.1% | 87.9% |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 1.7 | 78.8% | 93.4% |
| Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana | 1.7 | 74.3% | 90.6% |
| Universidad de La Serena | No data | 89.9% | 92.5% |
| Universidad del Desarrollo | No data | 85.1% | 92.7% |
| Universidad Católica de Temuco | No data | 80.7% | 86.2% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | No data | 79.3% | 89.1% |
What a civil engineer does and how it differs from other engineering degrees
In Chile, the civil engineer degree is awarded by universities after a program of about 12 formal semesters, with a strong grounding in mathematics and physics. The classic specialty is civil works: the engineer calculates structures, designs bridges, roads, ports, hydraulic works and buildings, and manages their construction. That is why they work at structural design firms, construction companies, concessionaires, water and energy utilities, mining companies and agencies such as the Ministry of Public Works.
The name can be confusing: "civil engineer" is also used for other 12-semester specialties, such as industrial, computer or mining engineering, which have their own entries in Mi Futuro. According to the tool, the average lower bound in year 4 is CLP 2.00 million in Civil Works, CLP 2.05 million in the common track and CLP 2.15 million in Industrial Civil Engineering.
The actual length is long: 15.4 semesters on average, almost eight years, from 13,9 at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso to 17,5 at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. It is one of the degrees with the best employment rates in the tool.
Employment of civil engineers in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 2.03 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 84.3% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 90.3% |
| Average actual duration | 15.4 semesters |
| Indicator (Civil Engineering) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 73,3% (U. Católica de la Santísima Concepción) – 97,1% (PUC) | 84.3% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 81,2% (U. San Sebastián) – 96,1% (U. Técnica Federico Santa María) | 90.3% |
| Actual length of the degree | 13,9 – 17,5 | 15.4 semesters |
| First-year retention | 68,6% (U. de Concepción) – 93,2% (U. de Chile) | 81.3% |
Source: Mi Futuro, simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. First-year employment ranges from 73.3% at the Catholic University of the Most Holy Conception to 97.1% at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and in year 2 it tops 85% at almost every institution. The universities with the best income also tend to have the best job placement, as this chart shows:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile | 97.10% | 2.40 |
| Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María | 94.40% | 2.40 |
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 93.80% | 2.40 |
| Universidad de Chile | 93.40% | 2.30 |
| Universidad de los Andes | 88.80% | 2.30 |
| Universidad de Concepción | 84.40% | 2.10 |
| Universidad Adolfo Ibañez | 88.30% | 2.00 |
| Universidad de Santiago de Chile | 85.90% | 2.00 |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 75.40% | 2.00 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 84.20% | 1.90 |
| Universidad Diego Portales | 83.80% | 1.90 |
| Universidad San Sebastián | 76.50% | 1.90 |
| Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción | 73.30% | 1.80 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 79.10% | 1.70 |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 78.80% | 1.70 |
| Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana | 74.30% | 1.70 |
Civil engineers versus other engineering and construction degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Civil Eng. | CLP 2.15 million | 85.1% | 29 |
| Civil Eng. (common track) | CLP 2.05 million | 84.3% | 10 |
| Civil Eng. (Civil Works) | CLP 2.00 million | 84.3% | 6 |
| Civil Construction | CLP 1.50 million | 76.9% | 9 |
| Construction Engineering | CLP 1.47 million | 75.0% | 15 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 13, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Industrial civil engineering earns slightly more than civil works on average, but both earn about CLP 500,000 a month more than Construction Engineering and Civil Construction, which are shorter and focused on project management. To compare, see how much an industrial civil engineer earns, a construction engineer and a civil builder.
How much a civil engineer earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For a civil engineer with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 2.03 million, the legal deductions are the pension fund (AFP) contribution (10% plus the fee), health (7% in Fonasa or the isapre plan), unemployment insurance (0.6% on an open-ended contract) and income tax. With a fee of about 1.5%, contributions add up to roughly 19.1%, leaving about CLP 1.64 million before income tax, which depends on the income bracket (our own approximate calculation). For reference, the minimum wage in Chile has been CLP 553,553 since May 2026.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a civil engineer earn right after graduating in Chile?
There is no official first-year income figure. Mi Futuro reports income in the fourth year: between CLP 1.7 million and CLP 2.5 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 2.03 million.
Where should you study Civil Engineering to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of PUC, U. Técnica Federico Santa María and U. Católica del Norte are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 2.4 million to CLP 2.5 million.
Is it easy to find work as a civil engineer?
On average, 84.3% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 90.3% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
Does a civil engineer or a construction engineer earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, civil works engineers have an average lower bound in year 4 of CLP 2.00 million, versus CLP 1.47 million for construction engineers.
How long does the civil engineering degree take?
Formally about 12 semesters, but the actual average length is 15.4 semesters, according to Mi Futuro.
