Civil Engineer Career

civil-engineer-500Civil engineers are responsible for designing, supervising, and managing large-scale construction projects that improve or create infrastructure. This includes projects such as building dams, tunnels, and bridges or systems for water filtration and circulation. Civil engineers need to be analytical thinkers and able to use software to design and present plans.

The vast majority (64%) of civil engineers work in engineering services while the remainder will typically work for some level of government from local to federal. It is possible for a civil engineer to start their own company or work for a small firm with a few other lead engineers.

Civil Engineering Career Snapshot

Their work environment ranges from office work when they are designing or planning presentations to on-site work at a construction site when they are supervising the construction of a project. It is typical for a civil engineer to work more than 40 hours a work when a project deadline is looming.

Further details on a career as a civil engineer are listed below (statistics from the May 2015 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):

$82,220

is the average yearly salary of civil engineers.

8%

increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.

43%

have a Bachelor’s degree while 26% have a Master’s degree.

Civil Engineer Education

Civil engineer’s need to have their bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. During the course of their education, they will take courses in math, statistics, fluid dynamics, and systems. There is a professional engineer license that must be obtained. For supervisory positions, a master’s degree is required.

Civil Engineer Job Duties

Civil engineers will have to create a construction project from start to finish. This includes analyzing long-term plans and associated evidence to plan a project. They must be conscious of a potential budget, submit the necessary permits, and ensure safety in the construction of the project. In addition, they need to maintain existing infrastructure.

Civil Engineer Salaries

A civil engineer earned an average salary of $82,220 in May 2015 according to BLS.gov data. Civil engineers who have additional education and manage projects will typically command a higher salary. The top 10% of earners received more than $1229,850 in pay while the lowest 10% earned less than $52,900. Civil engineers who work for the federal government have the highest average salary at $91,260 dollars.

Civil Engineer Job Outlook

The job growth for civil engineers is projected to be 8% through 2024. They will be needed due to aging infrastructure in the United States and to work on projects in other countries. Another factor that is impacting their growth is the focus on renewable energy projects because civil engineers will be needed to plan projects such as wind farms.

Civil Engineering Skills & Traits

Civil Engineering Skill Set:Required Abilities:Tools Used by Civil Engineers:Typical Work Activities:
• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Complex Problem Solving
• Mathematics
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering
• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Distance meters
• Levels
• Microfilm readers
• Drafting scales
• Triangles
• Problem solving
• Getting information
• Communicating with others
• Working with others
• Evaluating information

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