A construction engineer in Chile earns between CLP 1.2 million and CLP 1.9 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 1.8 million to CLP 1.9 million, belongs to graduates of U. Católica del Norte.
The tool lists 17 Construction Engineering programs, 15 of which report income, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.47 million. On average, 75.0% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 82.4% in their second. This guide explains how much a construction engineer earns in Chile by institution, how long it takes to find work and how the field compares with similar degrees.
How much a construction engineer earns in Chile by university
| Gross income bracket in year 4 | Institutions | Count |
|---|---|---|
| CLP 1.8 to 1.9 million | U. Católica del Norte | 1 |
| CLP 1.6 to 1.7 million | U. del Bío-Bío, Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso, U. de Valparaíso, U. Andrés Bello | 4 |
| CLP 1.5 to 1.6 million | U. Técnica Federico Santa María, U. Central de Chile, U. Católica del Maule, U. Austral de Chile | 4 |
| CLP 1.4 to 1.5 million | U. Tecnológica Metropolitana | 1 |
| CLP 1.3 to 1.4 million | U. Autónoma de Chile, U. de La Frontera, U. Tecnológica de Chile Inacap, IP Duoc UC | 4 |
| CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million | IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | 1 |
| No data | U. de La Serena, U. Mayor | 2 |
Source: Mi Futuro, Construction Engineering (17 programs, 15 with income data), accessed November 11, 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.
Of the 17 Construction Engineering programs in the tool, 15 report income. Universidad Católica del Norte has the top bracket, CLP 1.8 to 1.9 million. It is followed, at CLP 1.6 to 1.7 million, by the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, Universidad Andrés Bello, the University of Valparaíso and the University of Bío-Bío, and at CLP 1.5 to 1.6 million by Universidad Austral, Universidad Central, Universidad Católica del Maule and Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María.
At the lower end are UTEM (CLP 1.4 to 1.5 million), IP Duoc UC, Universidad Autónoma, Universidad de La Frontera and Universidad Tecnológica Inacap (CLP 1.3 to 1.4 million) and IP Virginio Gómez (CLP 1.2 to 1.3 million). Universidad de La Serena and Universidad Mayor show no income data.
In the table below you can search for your institution and sort by income or employment rate:
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 1.8 | 90.7% | 91.1% |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 1.6 | 83.8% | 84.9% |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 1.6 | 80.6% | 85.8% |
| Universidad de Valparaíso | 1.6 | 76.0% | 88.2% |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 1.6 | 68.3% | 80.5% |
| Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María | 1.5 | 79.7% | 80.2% |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 1.5 | 78.6% | 86.5% |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | 1.5 | 78.5% | 84.6% |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 1.5 | 72.9% | 87.3% |
| Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana | 1.4 | 76.7% | 80.4% |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 1.3 | 71.5% | 75.0% |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 1.3 | 71.3% | 87.5% |
| Universidad Tecnológica de Chile Inacap | 1.3 | 71.1% | 77.7% |
| IP Duoc UC | 1.3 | 66.0% | 72.6% |
| IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | 1.2 | 66.3% | 74.4% |
| Universidad de La Serena | No data | 80.8% | No data |
| Universidad Mayor | No data | 62.2% | No data |
Construction engineer, civil builder and civil engineer: what changes
A construction engineer plans, budgets and runs building and infrastructure projects, controlling deadlines, costs, quality and on-site safety. They work at construction firms, real estate developers, technical offices, engineering companies, public clients and in project inspection.
It is similar to Civil Construction, taught by universities and institutes with a comparable focus on project management, and different from Civil Engineering in Civil Works, which is longer and focused on structural design. According to Mi Futuro, the average lower bound in year 4 is CLP 1.47 million in Construction Engineering, CLP 1.50 million in Civil Construction and CLP 2.00 million in Civil Engineering in Civil Works.
The actual length is long: 13.7 semesters on average, from 10.3 at IP Duoc UC to 16.1 at the University of Bío-Bío and Universidad Mayor. The sector is also cyclical: construction jobs and pay rise and fall with investment, which a four-year-old average does not reflect.
Employment of construction engineers in Chile
View the data as a table
| Average lower bound of the year-4 income bracket | CLP 1.47 M |
| Employment rate in year 1 | 75.0% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 82.4% |
| Average actual duration | 13.7 semesters |
| Indicator (Construction Engineering) | Range across institutions | Simple average |
|---|---|---|
| Employment rate in year 1 | 62,2% (U. Mayor) – 90,7% (U. Católica del Norte) | 75.0% |
| Employment rate in year 2 | 72,6% (IP Duoc UC) – 91,1% (U. Católica del Norte) | 82.4% |
| Actual length of the degree | 10,3 – 16,1 | 13.7 semesters |
| First-year retention | 70,6% (Pontificia U. Católica de Valparaíso) – 89,2% (U. Tecnológica Metropolitana) | 81.1% |
Source: Mi Futuro, simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. First-year employment ranges from 62.2% at Universidad Mayor to 90.7% at Universidad Católica del Norte, which therefore combines the best income with the best job placement. The relationship between income and employment by institution is shown in this chart:
View the data as a table
| Employment rate in year 1 | Lower bound of year-4 income bracket (CLP millions) | |
|---|---|---|
| Universidad Católica del Norte | 90.70% | 1.80 |
| Universidad del Bío-Bío | 83.80% | 1.60 |
| Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso | 80.60% | 1.60 |
| Universidad de Valparaíso | 76.00% | 1.60 |
| Universidad Andrés Bello | 68.30% | 1.60 |
| Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María | 79.70% | 1.50 |
| Universidad Central de Chile | 78.60% | 1.50 |
| Universidad Católica del Maule | 78.50% | 1.50 |
| Universidad Austral de Chile | 72.90% | 1.50 |
| Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana | 76.70% | 1.40 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chile | 71.50% | 1.30 |
| Universidad de La Frontera | 71.30% | 1.30 |
| Universidad Tecnológica de Chile Inacap | 71.10% | 1.30 |
| IP Duoc UC | 66.00% | 1.30 |
| IP Dr. Virginio Gómez G. | 66.30% | 1.20 |
Construction engineers versus related degrees
| Degree | Average lower bound of year-4 income bracket | Average employment rate in year 1 | Programs with income data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Risk Prevention Eng. | CLP 1.36 million | 80.1% | 10 |
| Architecture | CLP 1.34 million | 58.8% | 17 |
| Construction Technician | CLP 0.97 million | 55.4% | 11 |
Source: Mi Futuro, accessed November 11, 2026; simple averages calculated by Vivarae News. Civil engineering in civil works is the best-paid degree in the group, but also the longest. Construction Engineering earns slightly less than Civil Construction and more than Architecture, and about 50% more than the technician degree. To compare, see how much a civil builder earns, how much an architect earns and how much a risk prevention engineer earns.
How much a construction engineer earns in Chile: from gross to net pay
For a construction engineer with gross pay equal to the degree's average lower bound, CLP 1.47 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 1.19 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 construction 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 1.2 million and CLP 1.9 million gross depending on the institution, with an average lower bound of CLP 1.47 million.
Where should you study Construction Engineering to earn more?
According to Mi Futuro, graduates of U. Católica del Norte are in the top bracket in year 4, CLP 1.8 million to CLP 1.9 million.
Is it easy to find work as a construction engineer?
On average, 75.0% of graduates earn above the minimum wage in their first year and 82.4% in their second, according to Mi Futuro.
Does a construction engineer or a civil builder earn more?
They earn about the same. According to Mi Futuro, the average lower bound in year 4 is CLP 1.47 million in Construction Engineering and CLP 1.50 million in Civil Construction.
How long does the degree take?
The average actual length is 13.7 semesters, according to Mi Futuro.
