construction careers - civil engineers

8/3/2019 Construction Careers - Civil Engineers

1/435Civil Engineers

CivilEngineers

C o n s t r

u c

t i o n

C a r e

e r s

What They Do

Civil Engineers plan, design, and direct the construction and maintenance o roads, bridges, pipelines,subdivisions, airports, waste water systems, and many other types o acilities. They may work in aspeci c eld such as construction, land development, structural or hydraulic design, soil mechanics,waste water treatment, or solid waste management. They may also work with specialists on problemssuch as soil or ground water contamination or energy development and conservation.

Civil Engineers may design the main eatures o a project, then direct the work o drawing plans,writing speci cations, and preparing nal cost estimates. They may prepare deeds, propertydescriptions, and right-o -way maps. In the eld they usually do surveying, site investigation,construction inspection, or supervision. They may also sample and test soil or construction

materials in the laboratory or the eld.In structural work, Civil Engineers may work on detailed calculations to be certain that design

eatures meet all structural requirements. They may go into the eld to make sure that work inprogress con orms to the plans and speci cations; they may also inspect existing structures orrepair or replacement needs.

In transportation, Civil Engineers design streets and highways, and plan alterations to improvetra c fow. They do survey work, draw preliminary plans, or inspect and test materials to be usedin construction. They may also prepare reports on environmental impact. Engineers may urtherspecialize in a particular part o the work such as improving tra c signs, planning and designingimpact devices, or studying pedestrian tra c. Others study population growth and industrial trendsto determine uture transportation needs.

Tasks

Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, blueprints, aerial photography, and othertopographical or geologic data to plan projects.

Plan and design transportation or hydraulic systems and structures, ollowing construction andgovernment standards, using design so tware and drawing tools.

Compute load and grade requirements, water fow rates, and material stress actors todetermine design speci cations.

Inspect project sites to monitor progress and ensure con ormance to design speci cations andsa ety or sanitation standards.

What They DoTasks

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Work Environment

Cali ornias Job Outlook and Wages

TrendsTraining

Where Do I Find the Job?

Where Can the Job Lead?

Other Sources

Table o Contents (scroll or use links below to navigate document)

View Career Video
http://realvideo.acinet.org/ramgen/15/17-2051.00.rmhttp://realvideo.acinet.org/ramgen/15/17-2051.00.rmhttp://realvideo.acinet.org/ramgen/15/17-2051.00.rm


2/4

36 Civil Engineers

CivilEngineers

C on

s t r u c

t i on

C

ar e er

s

Direct construction, operations, and maintenance activities at project site.

Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations and establish re erence points, grades,

and elevations to guide construction.Estimate quantities and cost o materials, equipment, or labor to determine project easibility.

Prepare or present public reports, such as bid proposals, deeds, environmental impactstatements, and property and right-o -way descriptions.

Detailed descriptions o this occupation may be ound in the Occupational In ormation Network (O*NET) at onli ne.onetcenter.org.

Important Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities

Mathematics Using mathematics to solve problems.

Science Using scienti c rules and methods to solve problems.

Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identi y the strengths and weaknesses o alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.Active Listening Giving ull attention to what other people are saying, taking time tounderstand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting atinappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work relateddocuments.

Active Learning Understanding the implications o new in ormation or both current anduture problem-solving and decision-making.

Engineering and Technology Knowledge o the practical application o engineering scienceand technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment tothe design and production o various goods and services.

Design Knowledge o design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production o precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Building and Construction Knowledge o materials, methods, and the tools involved in theconstruction or repair o houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

Oral Expression The ability to communicate in ormation and ideas in speaking so otherswill understand.

Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. Itdoes not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to speci c problems to produceanswers that make sense.

Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand in ormation and ideaspresented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand in ormation and ideas presentedin writing.

Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a ew eet o the observer).
http://online.onetcenter.org/http://online.onetcenter.org/


3/4

37Civil Engineers

CivilEngineers

C o n s t r

u c

t i o n

C a r e

e r s

Standard

OccupationalClassifcation

Estimated Number

o Workers2006

Estimated Number

o Workers2016

Average

AnnualOpenings

2009

Wage Range(per hour)

Civil Engineer17-2051 34,100 39,200 1,410 $33.67 to $50.08

Wages do not refect sel -employment. Average annual openings include new jobs plus net replacements.Source: www.labormarketin o.edd.ca.gov, Employment Projections by Occupation and OES Employment & Wages by Occupation, LaborMarket In ormation Division, Employment Dev elopment Department.

Work Environment

Civil Engineers work in many di erent settings, ranging rom quiet, modern o ces to job sites inremote areas. The majority o Civil Engineers spend most o their time working in the o ce. Someare required to work at remote sites where the environment can be very hot or very cold. They maytravel requently or relocate temporarily while working on a distant project. They may work withother pro essional and technical personnel on temporary project teams. Civil Engineers alwaysseem to be in demand and can nd work in their eld all over the world.

Civil Engineers generally put in a standard 40-hour work week. Sometimes they work overtime hoursto meet project deadlines. Sel -employed Civil Engineers tend to work more irregular hours.

Cali ornias Job Outlook and Wages

The Cali ornia Outlook and Wage table below represents the occupation across all industries.

Trends

The occupation o Civil Engineer will grow at an average rate compared to all occupations inCali ornia. Most job openings will occur to replace workers who retire or permanently leave theoccupation or various reasons.

Civil Engineers will be needed to repair or replace existing roads, bridges, and other public structures.Additional opportunities exist within non-civil engineering rms such as management consulting orcomputer services rms.

With the greening o the construction industry, Civil Engineers will be in demand to design andconstruct higher capacity transportation, water supply and pollution control systems, and Leadership inEnergy and Environmental Design (LEED) certi ed buildings and building complexes.

Training/Requirements/Apprenticeships

Civil Engineers must combine mathematical and mechanical aptitude with an interest incommunity a airs and environmental issues. They must be able to organize, analyze, and evaluatetechnical data to solve detailed engineering problems and work as part o a team.

A bachelor o science degree in civil engineering is the minimum requirement or most entry-levelpositions. Some schools have civil engineering curricula accredited by the Accreditation Boardo Engineering and Technology (ABET). Employers advise students to acquire practical experiencethrough summer jobs or college work-study programs. They also recommend computer sciencecourses due to the reliance on computer technology in the pro ession.

Registration by the State Board o Registration or Pro essional Engineers is required o all consultingCivil Engineers and those responsible or approving plans, speci cations, and reports. Many employers
http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/


4/4

38 Civil Engineers

CivilEngineers

C on

s t r u c

t i on

C

ar e er

s

require registration or advancement to a speci c level (Associate Civil Engineer in most publicagencies). Registration requires passing two exams and rom one to six years o civil engineer-ing workexperience. Success ul candidates receive a certi cate o registration as a Civil Engineer.

Recommended High School Course WorkHigh school students planning to become Civil Engineers should take college preparatory coursessuch as algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, chemistry, physics, and English, as well as shopand dra ting classes.

Where Do I Find the Job?

Direct application to employers remains one o the most e ective job search methods. However,when lling entry-level positions, some employers conduct college campus interviews. Others requestre errals rom college placement centers or engineering department aculty. Employers and applicantsmay also use the placement services o pro essional associations, private employment agencies, or theCali ornia Employment Development Department. Government agencies generally issue civil serviceannouncements describing all current openings and hiring procedures.

Use the Find Employers eature in the Job Search Tools section on the Career In ormationpage atwww.labormarketin o.edd.ca.gov to locate employers in your area. When using the search eatureEmployers by Industry, select keywords rom the ollowing construction industry names to get a listo private rms and their addresses:

Architectural Services Industrial Building Construction

Building Inspection Services Landscape Architectural Services

Commercial Building Construction O ces o Bank Holding Companies

Dra ting Services O ces o Other Holding Companies

Engineering Services Other Surveying and Mapping Services

Geophysical Surveying & Mapping Services Testing Laboratories

Search these yellow page headings or listings o private rms:

Engineers-Civil Engineers-Manu acturing

Engineers-Consulting Engineers-Structural

Engineers-Industrial Engineers-Transportation

Where Can the Job Lead?

Civil Engineers are employed in most industries. Advancement opportunities exist along a speci ccareer path. The main career path is to advance to a Senior Engineer and then Supervising Engineer.Some will advance to managerial positions within an organization. Lateral movement is quite easy

or Civil Engineers. With their college engineering degree they can move around to many di erentoccupations across most industries.

Other Sources o In ormation

Cali ornia Department o Consumer A airs, Board or Pro essional Engineers and Land Surveyorswww.dca.ca.gov/pels

American Soci ety o Civil Engineerswww.asce.org
http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/http://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/http://www.dca.ca.gov/pelshttp://www.asce.org/http://www.asce.org/http://www.dca.ca.gov/pelshttp://www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/

construction careers - civil engineers

Documents