Thinking of a Career in Civil Engineering? Here’s What to Expect

According to the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), there are over 800,000 professional civil engineers in the United States. Could you be one of the next to join their ranks?

​Here's what to expect from a career in civil engineering . . .

1) Not Your Normal 9 – 5
If you want a professional career that gets you out of the office and into the field, then civil engineering could be the right career for you. A civil engineer’s job is more than drawing up plans and running calculations, it also requires a good pair of boots and a hard hat. Civil engineers spend a lot of their time in the field either surveying, designing or supervising projects and many of these tasks are done with high-tech equipment like drones or underground recording devices.  

2) Seeing Your Work Every Day
At one point or another, you’ve probably spent countless hours on a project or assignment, just to never see it again. However, civil engineers get the satisfaction of seeing and experiencing their work on daily basis. Imagine driving your daily commute on roads you helped design! They plan and help create the infrastructure for everything from shopping malls, schools, and neighborhoods, to skyscrapers, airports, and roads – just to name a few. From your city’s skyline to its sidewalks, civil engineers have designed it all. 

3) Making a Difference
Not only do civil engineers get to see their work on a daily basis, they also get to see their work improving the community they live in. Civil engineers are large-scale problem solvers and find solutions for issues that affect us all. Issues like environmental pollution, natural disasters or overpopulation are all in a day’s work for the civil engineer. You can even work as a civil engineer in the nonprofit sector if making a difference is your passion.  

4) Endless Opportunity
Civil engineers can be found in the public, private or non-profit sectors, with sub-disciplines ranging from coastal to urban engineering. If job security is a concern, you’ll be happy to know that a civil engineer’s work is never done. Our cities and communities are always seeking to improve, and they rely on civil engineers to get the job done. 

5) Good Pay
An exciting and stable career may be incentive enough for some, but those job-seekers with student loans can rest assured by knowing a career in civil engineering pays well. In 2018, the average salary for a licensed civil engineer was $65,000 – about $20,000 more than the average wage worker’s salary. Experienced civil engineers can transition into business owners or consultants, or even branch out into lucrative technological fields. 

Are you planning any projects that require a civil engineer? If so, let us guide you. Our team is here to provide the high-quality civil engineering services your project deserves. Contact us to get started. 

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