What Does it Take to Be a Civil Engineer?
Job Description & Duties Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Daily Life Of a Civil Engineer
- Analyze manufacturing processes or byproducts to identify engineering solutions to minimize the output of carbon or other pollutants.
- Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.
- Compute load and grade requirements, water flow rates, or material stress factors to determine design specifications.
- Design or engineer systems to efficiently dispose of chemical, biological, or other toxic wastes.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations or establish reference points, grades, or elevations to guide construction.
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Civil Engineer Skills
Civil Engineers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operations Analysis: Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Other Civil Engineer Job Titles
- Highway Research Engineer
- County Engineer
- Transportation Engineer
- Highway Design Engineer
- Mapping Engineer
Job Outlook for Civil Engineers
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 303,500 jobs in the United States for Civil Engineer. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 10.6% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 32,200 new jobs for Civil Engineer by 2026. The BLS estimates 25,900 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Civil Engineer are Utah, Tennessee, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Mississippi, or Maine. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Civil Engineer
The average yearly salary of a Civil Engineer ranges between $54,780 and $142,560.
Civil Engineers who work in Alaska, California, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Civil Engineers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $84,320 |
| Alaska | $125,470 |
| Arizona | $84,770 |
| Arkansas | $81,780 |
| California | $109,680 |
| Colorado | $93,560 |
| Connecticut | $93,630 |
| Delaware | $91,410 |
| District of Columbia | $99,820 |
| Florida | $89,480 |
| Georgia | $81,110 |
| Hawaii | $86,680 |
| Idaho | $78,280 |
| Illinois | $94,570 |
| Indiana | $82,420 |
| Iowa | $83,940 |
| Kansas | $82,340 |
| Kentucky | $82,840 |
| Louisiana | $98,700 |
| Maine | $82,160 |
| Maryland | $86,110 |
| Massachusetts | $94,210 |
| Michigan | $82,240 |
| Minnesota | $90,760 |
| Mississippi | $85,880 |
| Missouri | $86,710 |
| Montana | $77,480 |
| Nebraska | $84,240 |
| Nevada | $100,700 |
| New Hampshire | $83,970 |
| New Jersey | $103,760 |
| New Mexico | $88,840 |
| New York | $102,250 |
| North Carolina | $86,270 |
| North Dakota | $83,460 |
| Ohio | $82,180 |
| Oklahoma | $91,090 |
| Oregon | $88,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $88,740 |
| Rhode Island | $87,220 |
| South Carolina | $84,660 |
| South Dakota | $77,030 |
| Tennessee | $93,810 |
| Texas | $102,990 |
| Utah | $80,690 |
| Vermont | $74,960 |
| Virginia | $94,780 |
| Washington | $93,120 |
| West Virginia | $82,210 |
| Wisconsin | $78,660 |
| Wyoming | $85,220 |
What Tools do Civil Engineers Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Civil Engineers:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Web browser software
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Email software
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Spreadsheet software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- The MathWorks MATLAB
- Microsoft Dynamics
- Microsoft Visual Basic
- Extensible markup language XML
- Geographic information system GIS software
- Minitab
How do I Become a Civil Engineer?
What education or degrees do I need to become a Civil Engineer?
How Long Does it Take to Become a Civil Engineer?
Where do Civil Engineers Work?
Below are examples of industries where Civil Engineers work:
Related Careers
Those who work as a Civil Engineer sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:
References:
Image Credit: Master Sgt. Roger Parsons via Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
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