2008-2009 Occupational Outlook for Civil Engineers
Excerpts
reprinted from the
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 Edition
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor
Nature of the 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 the 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, 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
Employment
Civil Civil engineers held about 256,000 jobs, 49 percent of which were in
architectural, engineering, and related services fields.
Job
Outlook Civil engineers are expected to experience 18 percent employment growth during the
projections decade, faster than average for all occupations. Spurred by general population growth and the related need to improve the nation's
infrastructure, more civil engieers 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
civil engineers, employment opportunities will vary by geographic area and may decrease
during economic slowdowns, when construction is often curtailed. Earnings
Median annual earnings of civil engineers were $68,600 in
May 2006. The middle 50 percent earned between $54,520 and $86,260. The lowest 10 percent earned around $44,810,
and earnings for the highest 10 percent were $104,420.
In 2007, average starting salaries by degree were as follows:
Bachelor’s - $48,509
master’s - $48,280
Ph.D. - $62,2759