<p>What is the future job outlook for civil and environmental engineering?
and why are civil engineers paid so low in comparison with other engineering fields?</p>
<p>1) People will need civil and environmental systems until we decide as a human race that we don't need roads, running water, sewer systems, airports, buildings, or protection against floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, etc.</p>
<p>2) Lots of hypotheses, no definite answers, but let me know if you find out because I'd love a raise.</p>
<p>Some of my hypotheses:
1. Many, if not most civil engineers work for the government. Government employees tend to have lower salaries than those in the private sector.</p>
<ol>
<li>Many work in more rural areas of the country, which is typically not the case for other engineering professions.</li>
</ol>
<p>But don't forget if you work for the government, you get pention and free health care after 55. So it's technically better overall. The more money you make the more you have to pay tax.</p>
<p>Are civil engineers in demand?</p>
<p>I came across a website that claims a lot of civil engineer are getting laid off.</p>
<p>A lot of <em>everyone</em> is getting laid off. Structural engineering's a little slow right now because construction in general is a little slow, but civil engineering is ramping up because of the impending push to rehabilitate the national infrastructure.</p>
<p>How long do you think the rehabilitation of the infrastructure will last?</p>
<p>I'm early in my undergrad, so I will like to know how the civil engineering field will be in 5 years.</p>
<p>Can I get a link to that website?</p>
<p>There is no end date for rehabilitation work. Once you fix one thing, other things begin to deteriorate. </p>
<p>If you're referring to the stimulus package / funding, there's the immediate stimulus package which I believe is for 2 years. There's also the proposed National Infrastructure Bank, which is for 5 years. After this period though, the economy will probably get better, and you'll end up seeing more work coming in through the private sector, i.e. luxury condo high rises and commercial skyscrapers. </p>
<p>It's a continuous cycle, but there's always going to be work somewhere. It just might not be at your current company.</p>
<p>I'm looking for it right now.I can't find it though.</p>
<p>It was a individual who answered a yahoo question.</p>
<p>The person was commenting on how civil engineers earn the least compared to other engineer disciplines.He also went on by saying how he recommends students not to get into civil engineering because of lay offs around the country.</p>
<p>Here is the link.</p>
<p>Tell</a> me about the day in the life of a civil engineer..? - Yahoo! Answers</p>
<p>This is his answer in regards of a typical day of a civil engineer.Is he exaggerating?</p>
<p>I get into the office around 8 am, I sit down and turn on my computer, while my computer is booting up, I go to the break room and get a cup of coffee and chit chat a little bit with my coworkers on how the economy sucks and which companies are laying off civil engineers. Then I go back to my desk and check emails and reply to them, then I go to the morning meeting to go over the only two projects we have and hope that we get more work coming down the pipeline. then I go back to my cubicle and look over the check prints and drawings and do some hand calcs on the concrete and rebar then check it against the Excel sheet. By the time I get finished with that it is lunch time and I have lunch in the break room. Then we have a continuing education lecture since nobody has a lot of work to do and we have a lot of down time so the bosses fill up the day with classes. Then I go back to my desk and fix the mistakes the CAD guys always make on their drawings. Then I go home and go to the gym and start all over again the next day.</p>
<p>People like to think that Civil Engineers spend a lot of time in the field but in reality they don't, they are too busy doing the design and checking and rechecking and rechecking all the numbers and calcs because if you make a mistake and they build it to your design, then you are liable and in some cases you can be thrown in jail if your design ends up killing people at the very least you will lose your license and job and never work in civil engineering again. Just take a look at the Hyatt Regency walkway failure.</p>
<p><a href="http://ethics.tamu.edu/ethics/hyatt/hyat%5B/url%5D">http://ethics.tamu.edu/ethics/hyatt/hyat</a>...</p>
<p>Yes you will be able to go out to the site every once and awhile but it is very infrequent. The only Civil Engineers that go out to the site a lot are the Construction Managers and the Project Managers and the Construction Engineers. The majority of the Civil Engineers I know stay in the office most of the time unless they are CE managers and have to go to public meetings, permitting meetings and meet with clients or go out to drum up more business.</p>
<p>Right now is a sucky time to be in Civil Engineering because there are a lot of people getting laid off and many companies are not hiring because of the economy. That and Civil Engineers are some of the lowest paid type of engineers out there. Unless you love Civil Engineering, I would suggest going into another field of engineering like biomedical engineering. That is a new hot field and there is a lot of growth potential since there are not a lot of people in it and they get paid a lot better than civil engineers.</p>
<pre><code>* 5 months ago
</code></pre>
<p>Source(s):
Civil Engineering Senior.</p>
<p>That sounds like a very cranky engineer who hates his job. Don't just listen to one person and draw a conclusion, though. </p>
<p>Yes. There are some jobs where you stay inside much of the time. I'm currently in one of those jobs, but I'm fine with that. If you want to do field work, you need to find a job where you've got a lot of field work to do. They're there, you just have to have that as a priority when you look for a job. </p>
<p>Yes. Civil engineers get paid less than a lot of other engineers. Starting salaries are around 50K, though. They can get as high as 100K, too. It's absolutely an adequate salary, though.</p>
<p>Civil engineering isn't a "hot" field, it's a <em>stable</em> field. People will always need civil engineers. Old engineers are retiring. It's one of those careers where you'll always find something to do.</p>
<p>That's what I want to do.I want a career where I design in a office.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Government employees tend to have lower salaries than those in the private sector.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Note that not all gov't salaries are lower.
I'll take L.A. Dept of Water and Power for example, their starting salary is quite bigger in comparison to the private counterparts. New CE assoc, fresh grad outta college, start at 67k and in 6 months they get a 5.5% step raise. Every year they get a 5.9% COLA in addition to the 5.5% step raise.
After 3 years into CE gig, they make mid to high 80's. To this day I still envy them...</p>
<p>
[quote]
To this day I still envy them...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Ugh. Don't. Working for LA is probably the worst gig in the entire world. Have you ever gone in for a permit conference with one of the city engineers? They look like they've had their souls extracted through their ears by some government overlord who used a pair of rusty tongs to do it. There's probably a prozac dispenser in the staff break room.</p>
<p>My cousin's son graduated with an architect degree but could only find sporadic work in his field. He switched to civil engineering and has been working overseas in Thailand for an American firm. So not all work is tied to USA and you also get a chance to travel as well.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Ugh. Don't. Working for LA is probably the worst gig in the entire world. Have you ever gone in for a permit conference with one of the city engineers? They look like they've had their souls extracted through their ears by some government overlord who used a pair of rusty tongs to do it. There's probably a prozac dispenser in the staff break room.
[/quote]
sigh... what can I say... the mayor, Antonio Vilaingrossa, is a liberal jerk. So the city leaders must be too...</p>
<p>Working for the LA Dept of Water and Power is a GREAT job. They are located in a landmark building on Bunker Hill, surrounded by fountains and right next door to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Water</a> and Power Exhibition in the DWP Lobby - Los Angeles
Los</a> Angeles Department of Water and Power Building
Panoramio</a> - Photo of fountains at the mark ferraro building</p>
<p>They offer top pay, and the opportunity to work on R&D projects as well as regular civil engineering projects. They have good management too, during the past Enron scandals that rocked the electricity market in California, the LADWP was the only utility not involved in the fiasco.</p>
<p>Also, LADWP covers tuition 100% if an employee decides to go back to school for a masters degree! Even at private institutions.</p>
<p>Does LADWP offer free health care for retirement? This is a good deal if they do.</p>