Civil Engineering - Civil Engineer Career

• Nature of Civil Engineer Work
• Civil Engineer Career Job Outlook
• Civil Engineer Salaries

Nature of Civil Engineer Work

Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and water supply and sewage systems. They must consider many factors in the design process, from the construction costs and expected lifetime of a project to government regulations and potential environmental hazards such as earthquakes and hurricanes. Civil engineering, considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines, encompasses many specialties. The major ones are structural, water resources, construction, environmental, transportation, and geotechnical engineering. Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions, from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. Others may work in design, construction, research, and teaching.

Civil Engineer Career Job Outlook

Civil engineers are expected to experience 18 percent employment growth during the projections decade, faster than the average for all occupations. Spurred by general population growth and the related need to improve the Nation’s infrastructure, more civil engineers will be needed to design and construct or expand transportation, water supply, and pollution control systems and buildings and building complexes. They also will be needed to repair or replace existing roads, bridges, and other public structures. Because construction industries and architectural, engineering and related services employ many civil engineers, employment opportunities will vary by geographic area and may decrease during economic slowdowns, when construction is often curtailed.

Civil Engineer Salaries

Earnings for engineers vary significantly by specialty, industry, and education. Variation in median earnings and in the earnings distributions for engineers in various specialties is especially significant. Table 2 shows wage-and-salary earnings distributions in May 2006 for engineers in specialties covered in this statement.

Table 2: Earnings distribution by engineering specialty, May 2006 Specialty Lowest 10% Lowest 25% Median Highest 25% Highest 10% Aerospace engineers 59,610 71,360 87,610 106,450 124,550 Agricultural engineers 42,390 53,040 66,030 80,370 96,270 Biomedical engineers 44,930 56,420 73,930 93,420 116,330 Chemical engineers 50,060 62,410 78,860 98,100 118,670 Civil engineers 44,810 54,520 68,600 86,260 104,420 Computer hardware engineers 53,910 69,500 88,470 111,030 135,260 Electrical engineers 49,120 60,640 75,930 94,050 115,240 Electronics engineers, except computer 52,050 64,440 81,050 99,630 119,900 Environmental engineers 43,180 54,150 69,940 88,480 106,230 Health and safety engineers 41,050 51,630 66,290 83,240 100,160 Industrial engineers 44,790 55,060 68,620 84,850 100,980 Marine engineers and naval architects 45,200 56,280 72,990 90,790 113,320 Materials engineers 46,120 57,850 73,990 92,210 112,140 Mechanical engineers 45,170 55,420 69,850 87,550 104,900 Mining and geological engineers 42,040 54,390 72,160 94,110 128,410 Nuclear engineers 65,220 77,920 90,220 105,710 124,510 Petroleum engineers 57,960 75,880 98,380 123,130 Over 145,600

Table 3: Average starting salary by engineering specialty and degree , 2007

Curriculum	Bachelor's	Master's	Ph.D.
Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical	$53,408	$62,459	$73,814
Agricultural	49,764
Architectural	48,664
Bioengineering and biomedical	51,356	59,240
Chemical	59,361	68,561	73,667
Civil	48,509	48,280	62,275
Computer	56,201	60,000	92,500
Electrical/electronics and communications	55,292	66,309	75,982
Environmental/environmental health	47,960
Industrial/manufacturing	55,067	64,759	77,364
Materials	56,233
Mechanical	54,128	62,798	72,763
Mining and mineral	54,381
Nuclear	56,587	59,167
Petroleum	60,718	57,000
Footnotes: (NOTE) Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers