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Intern Civil Engineer Jobs in Rhode Island (NOW HIRING)

... study. • Intern 3 - completion of 3rd year of qualified study. Qualifications MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: * Must have completed 3 years of study in civil engineering. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Intern 3 - completion of 3rd year of qualified study. Qualifications MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: * Must have completed 3 years of study in civil engineering. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: * Proficient in MS ...

Junior or higher enrolled in Materials Science, Metallurgical, Mining, Chemical, Civil, Optical, Mechanical, Manufacturing Engineering, Business, Finance, Accounting, Communications, Computer Science ...

Intern Civil Engineer information

See Rhode Island salary details

$13

$19

$26

How much do intern civil engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for intern civil engineer in Rhode Island is $19.44, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.49 and $21.44 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Intern Civil Engineer vs Civil Engineering Technician?

AspectIntern Civil EngineerCivil Engineering Technician
Required CredentialsTypically pursuing or recently completed a bachelor's degree in civil engineeringAssociate degree or diploma in civil engineering technology
Work EnvironmentOn-site project sites, engineering offices, assisting senior engineersFieldwork and office work, supporting engineers with technical tasks
Employer & Industry UsageInternships in engineering firms, construction companies, government agenciesConstruction firms, consulting firms, government departments

Intern Civil Engineers are usually students or recent graduates gaining practical experience, while Civil Engineering Technicians support engineering projects with technical tasks. Both roles work closely in the civil engineering industry but differ mainly in education level and responsibilities.

What does an intern civil engineer do?

An Intern Civil Engineer assists professional engineers in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures and infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and water supply systems. Their responsibilities often include drafting blueprints, conducting site visits, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing reports. They work under the supervision of licensed engineers, gaining practical experience and applying their academic knowledge to real-world projects. This internship helps them develop essential technical and communication skills needed for a successful engineering career.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an intern civil engineer?

To thrive as an Intern Civil Engineer, you need a solid understanding of engineering fundamentals, mathematics, and basic design principles, often supported by ongoing or completed coursework in civil engineering. Familiarity with AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and other relevant design or modeling software is typically required, along with knowledge of industry standards. Strong communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities are essential soft skills for collaborating with senior engineers and addressing project challenges. These skills and qualifications ensure effective contribution to engineering projects, foster professional growth, and support the safe, efficient delivery of infrastructure solutions.

What types of projects and tasks can an intern civil engineer expect to work on during their internship?

As an Intern Civil Engineer, you can expect to be involved in a variety of hands-on and support tasks related to ongoing infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, water systems, or buildings. Typical responsibilities may include assisting with site inspections, drafting technical drawings using software like AutoCAD, collecting and analyzing data, and preparing reports or documentation for senior engineers. Interns often work closely with both field and office teams, gaining exposure to project management, design processes, and regulatory compliance. This collaborative environment offers valuable learning experiences and lays a strong foundation for future career growth in civil engineering.
What are the most commonly searched types of Civil Engineer jobs in Rhode Island? The most popular types of Civil Engineer jobs in Rhode Island are:
Infographic showing various Intern Civil Engineer job openings in Rhode Island as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 25% Internship, 50% Full Time, and 25% Part Time. Highlights an 75% In-person, and 25% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $40,434 per year, or $19.4 per hour.

Civil Engineer (Highway) - DIRECT HIRE

Careers | Federal Highway Administration

Providence, RI • On-site

$101K/yr

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago

New


Job description

The employee is responsible for managing and promoting assigned Federal highway programs within the State. Provides engineering stewardship and oversight at various junctures of project and program delivery of Federal-Aid infrastructure projects within the state. This entails working on a broad range of engineering activities in the State associated with the design, construction and maintenance of highways and highway related facilities.

Qualifications:

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must (1) meet the Education Requirement for the series, (2) provide a copy of transcripts for verification, AND (3) meet the specialized experience requirements for the grade at which you are requesting consideration.
To qualify for the GS-12, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-11, it must include:

  • Experience applying civil engineering principles to the design, construction, or maintenance of highway/transportation infrastructure projects in accordance with established engineering standards and methods.
  • Experience consulting with multidisciplinary engineering teams, and resolving technical conflicts that arise during project delivery.
  • Experience interpreting and applying federal or state transportation laws, policies, and regulations.


To qualify for the GS-13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

  • Experience independently planning, coordinating, and evaluating highway and bridge design and construction projects.
  • Experience conducting technical reviews of Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E).
  • Experience monitoring Federal-aid Highway Program compliance under Title 23 CFR and NEPA guidelines.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Transportation Engineering - Knowledge of the concepts, principles, theories, and methods applicable to planning, designing, and constructing of transportation systems including traffic analysis, signal analysis, highway capacity, pavement design, bridge construction, planning of transportation projects, environmental analysis of transportation facilities, and transportation network analysis.
  • Technical Credibility - Understands and appropriately applies principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
  • Oral Communication (*) - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the
    information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and
    responds appropriately.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/frequently-asked-questions/employment-faq/federal-hiring/how-do-i-apply-for-federal-jobs/
All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education:

MANDATORY EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

A. DEGREE: ENGINEERING --To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor’s degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR

B. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE -- College-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:

1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering positions.

2. Written Test -- Evidence of having successfully passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination or any other written test required for professional registration by an engineering licensure board in the various States, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico.

3. Specified academic courses -- Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours of courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and that included the courses specified in the basic requirements under paragraph A. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of an engineering program as described in paragraph A.

4. Related curriculum -- Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in an appropriate scientific field, e.g., engineering technology, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology, may be accepted in lieu of a bachelor’s degree in engineering, provided the applicant has had at least 1 year of professional engineering experience acquired under professional engineering supervision and guidance. Ordinarily there should be either an established plan of intensive training to develop professional engineering competence, or several years of prior professional engineering-type experience, e.g., in interdisciplinary positions. (The above examples of related curricula are not all inclusive). All applicants must meet the education requirements under A or B to qualify for applying to an engineering position. Transcripts are required for this position.

Employment Type: OTHER