Life As a Civil Engineer
Civil Engineer Definition 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.
Life As a Civil Engineer
- Prepare or present public reports on topics such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impact statements, or property and right-of-way descriptions.
- Test soils or materials to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.
- Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure conformance to design specifications and safety or sanitation standards.
- Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, or other topographical or geologic data.
- Identify environmental risks and develop risk management strategies for civil engineering projects.
- Provide technical advice to industrial or managerial personnel regarding design, construction, or program modifications or structural repairs.
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Qualities of a Civil Engineer
These are the skills Civil Engineers say are the most useful in their careers:
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.
Types of Civil Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Roadway Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Bridge Design Engineer
- Water Systems Designer
Is There Going to be Demand for Civil Engineers?
There were about 303,500 jobs for Civil Engineer in 2016 (in the United States). 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.
Civil Engineer Salary
Civil Engineers make between $54,780 and $142,560 a year.
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?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Civil Engineers may use on a daily basis:
- 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
Becoming a Civil Engineer
Learn what Civil Engineer education requirements there are.
How many years of work experience do I need?
Who Employs Civil Engineers?
The table below shows the approximate number of Civil Engineers employed by various industries.
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
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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