If you are looking for an interesting career in the construction industry, have you thought about civil engineering?
While it is a similar discipline to architecture, there are some vast differences as well. Although architects and engineers work side by side, they each have a vital role to play in the development of buildings and complexes, and these roles are what help to define them as separate careers.
Facts About Civil Engineer
It is common knowledge that an architect designs and stays with the construction of a structure from start to finish, but what exactly does a civil engineer do? That is one question that confuses a great number of people. Here is a brief rundown of what you can do as a civil engineer with a master’s degree from Norwich University, for example.
A Word About the Differences Between Civil Engineering and Architecture
Perhaps this will be an oversimplification, but in effect, the architect has a vision and creates a design.
From there, a civil engineer finds ways to make those designs work in the context of finding appropriate materials and perhaps making modifications based on the land upon which the structure will be erected. Just because a design fits well with the layout of the land, the land may not support that particular structure in the way in which it is currently designed.
There is a great demand for Norwich University masters in civil engineering graduates because of this very situation. Architects tend to focus on aesthetics and function while civil engineers focus on making those two concepts work per location.
Again, that is an extreme oversimplification of what a civil engineer does, but it helps to understand the discipline.
What Can a Civil Engineer Hope to Earn?
Civil engineers are in great demand and the salaries they earn substantiate this fact. As an entry-level civil engineer with just a BS in Civil Engineering, the median pay listed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016 was $83,540 per year.
Imagine adding at least half that amount again for someone with a master’s degree and you will see that this is an occupation with a better than average pay rate in comparison to other careers with equivalent levels of education.
It also depends on whether the job is within the public or private sector. Bear in mind that government jobs have pre-defined pay grades and it is difficult to go beyond those rates. If you are looking for maximum earning power, the private sector would probably be a better option.
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There isn’t a housing or commercial building complex, bridge, airport, hospital or any other type of structure built that didn’t involve one or more civil engineers on the job.
They are largely responsible for taking plans and making them work within specific parameters. While an architect can simply stop at the functionality of the structure, the civil engineer must consider everything from the ecology to structural integrity.
If you are interested in construction and would like to work on large scale projects, a career as a civil engineer would give you a strong foothold in the industry.
