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Civil engineer salary guide to this great career!

Civil Engineer Salary

Civil Engineer Salary Overview

A respectable civil engineer salary can be expected for engineers with the necessary qualifications and experience. Factors that typically dictate their compensation include degree of expertise, the business they work for, the state they are in, and the work they specialize in.

Most civil engineers are commissioned to support public and government construction efforts. Of late, the profession has been broken down into a few distinct branches. As with all fields the more experience you have, the higher your civil engineer salary will be. In fact, engineers with vast experience and excellent qualifications can achieve an annual income of as high as $120,000.Salaries for the lowest 10 percent are less than $45,780 while those for the highest 10 percent are more than $110,890. Location, education are keys to better civil engineer salary.

A civil engineer salary in the private sector is on average 8 percent higher than in government/public institutions. Regional salaries vary with the District of Columbia, California, Texas, New Jersey, and Louisiana having the highest mean wages. Civil engineers with a BS diploma are usually given a starting rate of $49,540. Master’s degree holders command a higher civil engineer salary starting rate of $59,880 while new doctorate degree holders begin with even more, around $65,470. Post-graduate degrees normally increase civil engineer salary rates by over 21 percent, and this salary surge will persist as demand remains high.

Civil engineering employment seen to grow

Besting those of other occupations, employment growth in the civil engineering field and  civil engineer field is targeted at almost 20 percent until 2016. A growing population will necessitate a greater number of civil engineers tasked to oversee the construction of new public and private structures as well as restoration initiatives. Key projects requiring civil engineers’ leadership and expertise include roads, bridges and related transit facilities as well as public utility and energy delivery complexes.

Among all the 50 states, Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Washington, and Wisconsin rank highest in terms of number of employed civil engineers per capita.

The need for more civil engineers could positively impact the civil engineer salary. Buoyed by surging populations, western and southern states will focus on new infrastructure development as northeast and Midwest states try to revitalize outdated infrastructure. Demand for civil engineers will surge as a result of intensified environmental management programs in highly populated areas. Similarly new public and private projects focusing on renewable and sustainable energy projects will require the services of more civil engineers in all regions.

Academic requirements for a civil engineer

Aspirants who is looking for a lucrative civil engineer salary must pursue and finish a four-year civil engineering course at a post-secondary or collegiate school, while taking up physical science and mathematics subjects. Others take a step further though, electing to earn a master’s, doctoral or post-doctoral degree. Civil engineers must hold a license to be able to practice in certain areas. Without a license, one may not declare one’s self a “civil engineer.”

You may also check out available government grants and assistance. Aspirants keen on earning a degree but do not have the time to enroll in school may choose to sign up for some basic subjects online.

Civil engineer duties and requirements

Following are the main duties that one must perform diligently to earn a good civil engineer salary. Site inspection before the start of a project is a key item in your job description. Secondly, one must see to it that the construction site is completely safe and hazard-free, paying as much attention to quality assurance. The civil engineer is expected to closely coordinate and consult with colleagues, superiors and other project participants such as architects and contractors, ensuring that all project details and requires are clearly laid out. This will require a degree of people skills in order to communicate well with other professionals assigned to the project. How well one prepares designs and blueprints for various projects could also serve as a basis for one’s civil engineer salary.

A stable and secure career, not to mention numerous employment opportunities, awaits future civil engineers. With thorough research and careful planning, you are well on your way to a career that rewards skill and effort with your desired civil engineer salary, and more importantly, self-fulfillment and opportunities for advancement.

In the upcoming weeks and months, I plan on writing more articles that will cover a civil engineer job description, civil engineering degree, chemical engineer salary, electrical engineer salary, structural engineer salary, start salaries civil engineer, aerospace  engineer salary and structural engineering as these are all related topics to a civil engineer salary.

Civil Engineer Salary

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The content of a Civil Engineer Job Description

Civil Engineer Job Description

A civil engineer job description includes planning, designing and managing construction projects. Construction projects can range from small-scale projects such as repairing bridges to large scale projects such as construction of an Olympic stadium. A civil engineer job description generally cuts across several areas of specialization like transportation, structural, environmental, geotechnical and maritime. This means that a civil engineer may be hired to work in any of these areas.

Content of a civil engineer job description

Generally,  the job description of a civil engineer determines the civil engineer salary level.Though a civil engineer may work in different sectors or areas, most of these sectors overlap. Typically, a civil engineer job description would include the following duties:

  • Holding meetings with clients as well as other professionals such as surveyors, building contractors and architects to discuss requirements.
  • Provision of technical advice with respect to construction, design, program modification and structural repairs to managerial and industrial personnel
  • Analysis of survey reports, drawing, maps, aerial photography, blueprints, and other geologic or topographical data using computer modelling software for project planning
  • Planning and design of hydraulic or transportation structures and systems using drawing tools and design software. Civil engineers do this in line with government and construction standards
  • Developing blueprints with the help of computer aided design (CAD)
  • Compute grade and load requirements, material stress factors and rates for water flow to determine the specifications needed in the design of a project
  • Assessing projects in terms of  cost, materials, labour and time requirements and judge their feasibility
  • Assessing the risks and environmental impact associated with projects
  • Preparation or presentation of tender bids, deeds, statements on environmental impact, right of way and property descriptions  to public bodies, clients and planning bodies
  • Manage and direct operations at each phase of the project  as well as participate in the survey to lay installations and determine grades, elevations and reference point to guide construction
  • Monitoring project progress to ensure that design specifications, sanitation and safety standards are conformed with
  • Ensuring that legal, safety and health guidelines are observed at the construction sites
  • Conduct tests on materials and soils to determine the strength and adequacy of the concrete, foundations, steel or asphalt
  • Making sure sites meet legal guidelines, and health and safety requirements

Skills needed to undertake duties contained in the job description of civil engineer

A civil engineer should have excellent skills in IT, maths and science. He/she should be able to explain design plans and ideas clearly, analyze large volumes of data and be able to assess solutions. The person should be  able to communicate effectively, have the ability to meet deadlines and work within budgets. He or she should be knowledgeable about relevant legal requirements and be able to work in a team. In order to undertake the responsibilities contained in a civil engineer job description, a civil engineer must also be confident in his or her decision making ability.

civil engineer job description

civil engineer job description

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The Growing Opportunities in Civil Engineer Jobs

Civil Engineer Jobs

Civil engineer jobs involve planning for the construction of infrastructure such as bridges, roads, transport, electricity, water systems among others.  Civil engineering is a great career choice because it offers many opportunities to those who pursue it. When looking for a civil engineer job, you first need to consider what field you want to enter. There are various disciplines  in civil engineering and what is mostly required to get solid civil engineer jobs  is appropriate education and experience.

Requirements for civil engineer jobs

Generally, a college degree is required to get entry level civil engineer jobs. A degree in science, engineering or mathematics is mostly required. To be  licensed as a civil engineer, you are required to have a minimum of four years work experience; this is also required to be able to take the licensing exam. The easiest way to get this kind of experience is working as an apprentice of an experienced and licensed civil engineer.  This experience helps you understand what it takes to become a civil engineer and enables you to meet engineering standards. For instance, you become detail oriented and organized, develop your analytical skills and enhance your creativity. You are able to lead others, work in a team and mange people as well as projects. Civil engineer salary depends highly on the level of degree that one holds in engineering. A bachelors degree holder in civil engineering is likely to earn about $52,000 per year.  Graduate civil engineer jobs would most likely pay $75,000 while an engineer with a doctorate would earn about $115,000 annually.

The rising demand in jobs for civil engineers

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics stated that there were approximately 287,400 civil engineer jobs by 2008. Almost 50% of these engineers got employment in companies specializing in architecture, engineering and other related work. A fourth of these jobs went to government facilities and the remaining engineers were hired to work in construction companies.  There is a rising need for maintenance of existing facilities and construction of new ones. This reflects the continuing rise in demand for graduate civil engineers to take up these civil structural engineer jobs. It is also important to note that projects funded by the government will always be there. This creates civil engineer jobs for civil engineers should private firms cut back on their construction projects.

 Charting a career path in a civil engineering job

After completing education and gaining work experience in civil engineering field, there are various ways through which civil engineers can advance in their career. Many large engineering firms employ engineers at different levels within the company’s hierarchy. They have junior civil engineer jobs, assistant and associate civil engineer jobs within different departments and hence create opportunities for staff advancement within the company. Moreover, civil engineer jobs can enable civil engineers specialize in a particular field hence increasing their value to an employer.

civil engineer jobs

Civil engineer jobs

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