NSIM

Job Duties

Civil engineers typically do the following:

·  Analyze survey reports, maps, and other data to plan projects

·  Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors in planning stages

·  Test soils to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations

·  Test building materials, such as concrete, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects

·  Provide cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility

·  Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards

·  Oversee, or participate in, surveying to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction

·  Present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions

Career Overview

Civil engineers design, construct, supervise, operate, and maintain large construction projects and systems, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment. Many civil engineers work in design, construction, research, and education.

DUTIES

Civil engineers typically do the following:

·         Analyze survey reports, maps, and other data to plan projects

·         Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors in planning stages and risk analysis

·         Compile and submit permit applications to local, state, and federal agencies verifying that projects comply with various regulations

·         Perform or oversee soil testing to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations

·         Test building materials, such as concrete, asphalt, or steel, for use in particular projects

·         Provide cost estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine a project’s economic feasibility

·         Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in line with industry and government standards

·         Perform or oversee, surveying operations to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide construction

·         Present their findings to the public on topics such as bid proposals, environmental impact statements, or property descriptions

·         Manage the repair, maintenance, and replacement of public and private infrastructure

Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer. Others work in design, construction, research, and teaching. Civil engineers work with others on projects and may be assisted by 

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WORK SCHEDULES

Civil engineers typically work full time, and about 1 in 4 worked more than 40 hours per week in 2012. Engineers who direct projects may need to work extra hours to monitor progress of the overall projects, to ensure that the design meets requirements, and to ensure that deadlines are met.

Education and Training

Civil engineers need a bachelor’s degree. They typically need a graduate degree and licensure for promotion to senior positions. Though licensure requirements vary within the U.S., civil engineers must usually be licensed in the locations where they provide services publicly.

EDUCATION

Civil engineers must first complete a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or one of its specialties. A program accredited by architectural and engineering managers.

IMPORTANT QUALITIES

Decision-making skills. Civil engineers often balance multiple and frequently conflicting objectives, such as determining the feasibility of plans with regard to financial costs and safety concerns. Urban and regional planners often look to civil engineers for advice on these issues.

Leadership skills. Civil engineers take ultimate responsibility for the projects or research that they perform. Therefore, they must be able to leadconstruction managers, civil engineering technicians. A degree from an state societies of professional engineers, can give further details.

ADVANCEMENT

Civil engineers with ample experience may move into senior positions, such as project managers or functional managers of design, construction, operation, or maintenance. However, they would first need to obtain the Professional Engineering (PE) license, because only licensed engineers can assume responsibilities for public projects.

After gaining licensure, credentialing that attests to a Professional Engineer’s expertise in a civil engineering specialty may be of help for advancement to senior technical or even managerial positions.

Pay

The median annual wage for civil engineers was $79,340 in May 2012. The median wage is the wage at which half of the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,280, and the top 10 percent earned more than $122,020.

In May 2012, the median annual wages for civil engineers in the top five industries in which these engineers worked were as follows:

Federal government, excluding postal service

Local government, excluding education and hospitals

Architectural, engineering, and related services

State government, excluding education and hospitals

Nonresidential building construction

Civil engineers typically work full time, and about 1 in 4 worked more than 40 hours per week in 2012. Engineers who direct projects may need to work extra hours to monitor progress of the overall projects, to ensure that the design meets requirements, and to ensure that deadlines are met.

Job Outlook

Employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 20 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. As infrastructure continues to age, civil engineers will be needed to manage projects to rebuild bridges, repair roads, and upgrade levees and dams.

Moreover, a growing population means that new water systems will be required while the aging, existing water systems must be maintained to reduce or eliminate leaks of drinkable water. In addition, more waste treatment plants will be needed to help clean the nation’s waterways. Civil engineers play a key part in all of this work.

The work of civil engineers will be needed for renewable energy projects. Civil engineers prepare the permit documents for these types of projects, verifying that the project will comply with federal, state, and local requirements. With regard to solar energy, these engineers conduct structural analyses for large-scale photovoltaic projects. They also evaluate the ability of solar array support structures and buildings to tolerate stresses from wind, seismic activity, and other sources. For large-scale wind projects, civil engineers often prepare road beds to handle large trucks that haul in the turbines. In addition, they prepare the sites on shore or offshore to make sure that the foundations for the turbines will safely keep the turbines upright in expected environmental conditions.

Although states continue to face financial challenges and may have difficulty funding all the projects that need attention, some of the projects that have been delayed will ultimately have to be completed in order to build and maintain critical infrastructure.

JOB PROSPECTS

Although a bachelor’s degree is the typical requirement for entry, applicants who gain experience by participating in a co-op program while in college will have the best opportunities.