This document, authored by Aidan Boutot, provides a comprehensive overview of the civil engineering profession. It covers key topics such as job responsibilities, educational requirements, salary expectations, and job outlook. The structured content serves as a valuable resource for those interested in pursuing a career in civil engineering.
Aidan Boutot
1. The occupation being researched is Civil Engineer.
2. What does someone in this career do?
In these careers, civil engineers mainly focus on designing and planning
infrastructure. The main focus is usually on roads and bridges. They not only design these
bridges, but they also supervise, analyze, and oversee the whole construction of the bridge
to make sure that is it done like the drawings and to the standard that they want.
3. How does someone become a Civil Engineer?
Before starting out as a civil engineer, you have to start out with a four-year college and
receive a bachelor’s degree to get an entry-level position. These classes in college include
mostly math, physics, and engineering mechanics on top of laboratory work. To become an
even stronger engineer, you can get a PE (Professional Engineering License), which can be
used to get better jobs and even oversee other engineers.
4. What is the typical pay?
As of May 2024, the median pay of a civil engineer is around $99,590, which means that
half of the civil engineers make more than this and help make less. On top of this, the lower
10 percent made less than $65,920, while the top 10 percent made upwards of $160,990.
5. What is the job outlook?
As of 2024, there were about 368,900 jobs available, with around a 5% job outlook from
2024-2034. As a numeric value, that is adjusted to about 18,500 jobs being added. These
stats show promise that jobs as a civil engineer are open now and more will be needed in
the future making a pretty good option as a job to go into
6. What is the work environment like?
As a civil engineer, you will have two separate work environments. For half the time, you
will be stuck in an office, creating drawings among other office tasks. For the other half,
you will be out on jobs sites, checking on projects, and making sure they are staying on
schedule. 40 hours a week is pretty common with some working even more to ensure that
their projects get finished correctly and on time.
7. What are some similar occupations?
Some similar occupations include mechanical engineers, construction managers, architects,
civil engineering technologists and technicians, and urban and regional planners.
8. What is the most interesting thing you discovered about this career?
The most interesting thing I found out is how this job is a lot more than just sitting behind a
screen. In fact, civil engineers not only spend a lot of time out of the office on job sites, but
the most interesting to me is how they almost take on a construction manager role at some
points.
9. Did you find any job listings posted? Is the salary consistent with the typical pay your
research found?
Yes, one job I found was a civil engineering job opening of JCSI in Marlborough, Mass.
The pay was consistent with the data I found as it was a little below the median at $70,000
- $90,000, but that should be expected especially as an entry-level position. Another was
DGT Associate Inc. For an entry level position but that pay started only between $50,000-
$60,000
10. List at least 5 local firms/companies where someone in your profession could work.
JCSI in Marlborough
DGT Associates Inc. in Framingham, Mass.
Simpson Gumpertz and Heger (SGH) in Waltham, Mass.
Civil Engineer for the towns or state of Massachusetts
McClure in Boston, Massachusetts
Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance in Boston, Mass.
11. Which company would you most like to work for and why?
If I was just starting out, I would like to work for DGT Associates Inc. This is because their
whole job post is about looking for someone brand new, just out of college. They want to
help and train you to become an engineer. To me, that seems like a great opportunity to get
a chance to start out with pay still being pretty decent somewhere between $50,000-
$60,000.
