Three Routes Start
College diploma

Civil engineering technology

Diploma in Civil Engineering Technology (BCIT)

24 of 30 verified for BC; "start something" routes use national figures · How we verify
Trades go through SkilledTradesBC (4 levels, Youth Train in Trades lets you start Level 1 in high school). Numbers from WorkBC and Job Bank BC, BCIT, VCC and UBC.
Years to credential2
First real paycheque~2 years
Time in a classroom65%
Total cost$14,000
Typical debt after$8,000
Demand in BCSteady

The first ten years

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Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

What's in "net by year 10"
Earnings, years 1 to 10$565k2 years at $0 while in school, then $47,840 rising to $79,040 by year five, flat after
Program cost−$14ktuition and fees
Typical (medians)$551kthe number on the card
Low to high$464k to $637kpay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the British Columbia median before tax from the sources on this page.

The picture

What the day-to-day isSurveying, materials testing, CAD, site inspection for roads, bridges and buildings.
What actually stops peopleMath. Students who scraped through Advanced Functions struggle in first year.
The downsideYou do the field and drafting work engineers sign off on; the P.Eng ceiling requires going back for a degree.
If you're the parentInfrastructure spending in Ontario means steady hiring. A practical, outdoors-and-office mix with a clear path to a degree later.
Local opportunities in British Columbia

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How to enter

What you need
  • Courses: Advanced Functions, Physics
  • Average around 65+
Deadlines in BC
  • Apply directly to the college from October; competitive programs fill by February
  • StudentAid BC in spring

Next steps in British Columbia

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In British ColumbiaCost is an estimate (~$3,500 per term x 4) from comparable BCIT diplomas.
www.workbc.ca · www.bcit.ca

◐ Partly verified WorkBC NOC 22300 (Job Bank BC wages 2025); BCIT 2025-26 domestic fee schedule

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