Eston Storm

Period 7

Civil Engineer
Civil engineers build, design, and maintain construction projects
publicly and privately, including airports, roads, buildings, and really
anything that any amount people can use at a certain time. Typically, civil
engineers analyze long range plans, surveys, and data in order to plan
projects. They consider costs for construction projects, regulations, potential
hazards, and other factors in the planning stage as well as risk analysis. Civil
engineer also compile and submit applications to local, state, and federal
agencies, verifying that projects follow certain regulations. They perform soil
testing to determine the adequacy and strength of foundations, and test
building materials such as steel for use in all types of projects. They also
provide cost estimates for materials and or equipment to determine a
projects economic eligibility. Civil engineers utilize software to design
systems and structures in line with industry and government standards.
They perform surveying operations to establish reference points to guide
construction including managing as well as repair, as well as maintenance
of public and private infrastructures.
A civil engineers work environment can be a variety of locations and
conditions. When working on designs, they may spend most of their time in
offices. Some jobs can require frequent location changes to sites and offices.

Civil engineers who function as managers can work from vehicles as they
move from site to site. Many work for government agencies in office
buildings or facilities. Occasionally, they travel abroad to work on big
projects, even in other countries.
Civil engineers usually work full time, and about one in every four
worked more than 40 hours every week in 2014. When they do direct
projects, they may need to work extra hours to monitor progress, ensure that
designs meet requirements and guarantee that deadlines can be met. There
were 281,400 jobs for civil engineers in 2014, and employment is projected
to grow 8 percent from 2014 to 2024, about as fast as most occupations. In
2024, there should be about 305,000 jobs to apply for in civil engineering. A
civil engineer requires a bachelors degree in engineering, in a specialty, or
in civil engineering technology. Programs in civil engineering or civil
engineering technology include coursework in math, statistics, engineering
mechanics and systems, and other courses, depending on the specialty of
the degree thats being worked on. Important qualities include, decisionmaking, leadership, math, organizational, problem-solving, speaking, and
writing, and being able to bring all of them together and use them fluently.
Whats needed as well is a degree from an ABET-accredited engineering
program, a passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam,
relevant work experience, usually, at least 4 years working under a licensed
engineer, and a passing score on the Professional Engineering (PE) exam.

To get a promotion, or to obtain work at a higher level, with plentiful

experience, first need a Professional Engineering (PE) license, because only
licensed engineers can take responsibilities for public projects. After getting
this license, an engineer can seek credentials that attest to their skills in a
specialty, and can help getting an advancement to senior technical, or even
managerial positions. In 2015, the median pay was about $82,220 per year,
or $39.53 per hour. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $52,900, while
the top 10 percent more than $129,850. Companies do not usually pay for
retirement, but being a civil engineer will earn more for a starting salary than
most college graduates. The average pay for a college graduate in 2015 was
$39,000 dollars, with civil engineers earning $51,000 at graduation. That can
help with retirement, being able to put more into an account earlier, and
eventually even retiring earlier than most, but being efficient with money.
Major employers in the civil engineering field are URS Corporation, HDR
Inc., and AECOM Technology Corporation. URS is one of the biggest
engineering and design firm in the Unites States. It operates in the US,
Europe, the Asia pacific, Africa, and the Americas. URS offers full
engineering, design and construction services to enterprises as well as
government agencies around the world. This company makes bridges,
airports, marine and port facilities, oil facilities, and large transit rails. The
company also creates hazardous waste disposal systems. With a wide range
of projects, this firm has a constant need for many civil engineers. HDR is
another popular employer in the engineering field. HDR operates in the

Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. They also provide full service
engineering, design and construction services to businesses and government
agencies. They also have experience in gigantic projects, such as waterways
and dams, as well as storage and disposal of hazardous materials. Its no
surprise that HDR is one the companies with the lowest employee drop-out
rate. AECOM stands for Architecture, Engineering, Consulting Operations,
and Maintenance. It was voted as one of the best design, engineering, and
architecture firms by professional trade organizations. AECOM works in
transportation, energy, and environmental projects. AECOMs Tech
Corporation operates around the world as well, extending its range to
companies and enterprises in different countries.
To ultimately apply to be a civil engineer, there needs to be a
preliminary college readiness plan towards majoring in engineering to get
the correct degree and licenses. Before working towards an engineering
degree, classes can be taken in high school, such as Engineering 1, 2, 3, and
even 4, to get familiar with the type of design and introduction to some of
the principals and work required to become a civil engineer. Strong math
skills are as asset.
Civil engineers are responsible for creating, designing, maintaining,
and following regulations that help large and small cities and communities
operate, utilize, and function as the public needs them to. Airports,
highways, buildings, dams, flood control, and all types of infrastructure that
people rely on to function efficiently. Benefits of being a civil engineer can

also lead to more opportunities than most jobs, getting higher pay right out
of college, and the chance to travel around the world, putting designs from
you and your company out in public. While the path to becoming a civil
engineer can be difficult, it is also a highly technical and rewarding career.