Career InformationCivil Engineers: Career, Salary and Education
InformationCareer Profile: What do Civil Engineers do?Civil
engineers supervise and direct the design and construction of
roads, bridges, water supply systems, and structures. They take the
local environment into account, anticipating earthquakes and
hurricanes as well as the stress of daily use. Civil engineers, who
work in engineering's oldest discipline, have long been valued for
their ability to create the structures and systems used every
day.Citizens rely on civil engineers to keep structures safe and
create new systems for more efficient living. These specialized
engineers can be found wherever population growth and expansion
call for new or updated transportation, structural, and
geotechnical engineering.A Day in the Life of a Civil EngineerCivil
engineers comprise the most popular engineering specialty, with
256,000 engineers nationwide in the field. The daily duties of
individual civil engineers depend on job specializations. A large
amount of technical and computer work is typically required, and
civil engineers must be familiar with different schematics, maps,
and drafting software.The career may require travel, as civil
engineers move from place to place to work on different projects.
Civil engineers can spend time outside, surveying the progress of
construction and taking a close look at problems.Civil Engineer
Training and EducationA bachelor's degree is the standard for many
entry-level jobs in civil engineering, although more advanced
careers may require more training. All engineers offering their
services directly to the public must be licensed and many civil
engineers hold official professional engineer (PE)
certification.Training programs tend to group courses into
different emphases, typically geotechnical engineering, structural
engineering, and transportation engineering. Popular coursework
includes instruction in surveying, highway engineering, land
surveying, water quality engineering, and computer methods.Civil
Engineer Employment & OutlookCivil engineers should be the
largest job increase among all engineers in the coming years, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports. An 18 percent employment
growth is expected with 46,000 jobs across the civil engineering
industry.The increase is due in part to a general population growth
and the related need to improve civil infrastructure nationwide.
Civil engineers are needed to repair existing roads and other
public structures, as well as design and create new structures. An
increasing emphasis on "green" building is expected to increase the
need for civil engineers with experience in pollution control
systems.Typical Civil Engineer SalaryMean annual wages for civil
engineers was $75,230 in 2007, according to the BLS. Those working
in architectural, engineering, and related services saw earnings of
$76,540, while those working for state and local government earned
$67,880 and $74,030, respectively. The state of Washington had the
highest concentration of civil engineers in 2007, with mean annual
earnings of $77,540.Education and Training: Bachelor's degree plus
training; licenseSalary: Variessee profileEmployment Outlook:
GoodDefinition and Nature of the WorkCivil engineers plan and
design bridges and tunnels, as well as highways, airfields,
harbors, water and sewage systems, and buildings. They also
supervise the construction of such projects to ensure that they are
built according to carefully drafted plans. Civil engineers are
employed by all levels of government, by construction companies,
and by engineering and architectural firms. Some civil engineers do
independent consulting work. Others work for public utility
companies or in the iron and steel industry. Still other civil
engineers teach at colleges and universities.Civil engineering is
such a broad and varied field that most engineers specialize in one
area. Some of the main specializations include structural,
construction, hydraulics, sanitary, environmental, transportation,
and soil mechanics engineering.Structural engineers are experts in
building structures safely and efficiently. They work with
architects to design large buildings, bridges, and tunnels.
Construction engineers supervise the actual construction of
projects once they are designed. They decide on the best materials
and methods to use in building such structures as skyscrapers.
Civil engineers who work in hydraulics design canals, flood-control
systems, and irrigation systems. They study water sources and try
to develop ways of using water that will benefit the community. For
example, a hydraulic engineer might design a dam in a river to
create a reservoir to safeguard the water supply of an
area.Sanitary engineers design systems to purify water and treat
wastes to provide a safe and economical supply of water. They work
with environmental engineers to control water and air pollution.
Transportation engineers plan highways, subways, airports, and
railroads. Those who specialize in soil mechanics develop ways to
use soil so that building foundations can be improved.COURSE
REASON(S)URGENCY
PROJECT MANAGEMENTTO INCLUDE MS PROJECT for planning
HIGH
GETTING PROFESSIONAL STATUS-LICENSE
To approve (certify) drawings on behalf of Africom with limited
external certificationHIGH
STRUCTURAL DESIGN TRAININGTo be able to do Check or do Designs
HIGH
DRAWING /DRAFTING/MAPPING TRAINING WITH SOFTWARES LIKE AUTOCAD
CIVIL 3DFor Fibre project documentation
HIGH
CCS TRAININGFor Cost Estimation
MEDIUM
