Civil engineers are responsible for designing, building, maintaining and managing the whole process of constructing private and public facilities. These include pipelines, roads, highways, dams, bridges, tunnels, water treatment systems, airports and subdivisions. It is also the responsibility of these engineers to oversee the activities and overall performance of the people involved in the projects. While these professionals have tremendous responsibilities to keep, there are so many other good reasons to become a civil engineer.
Continuous Demand for Engineering Graduates
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were around 287,400 civil engineering jobs as of 2008. Almost half of these engineers were employed in companies that specialize in engineering, architecture and other related work. One fourth of this figure belonged to those engineers working in government facilities, while the rest were in the construction industry.
One of the most significant benefits of having an engineering job is the continuous and rising demand for the maintenance and construction of new facilities. As a result, there is also a growing demand for civil engineering graduates to supervise the projects. It is also worth mentioning that there will always be government funded projects that these engineers can take on if ever private firms start cutting back on their own projects.
Various Job Specialization Options
The field of civil engineering is so huge that there are also a lot of options for students in terms of specialization. As a civil student, you may choose among various specialty areas depending on your personal interest. The main areas focused on by these engineers are construction, structural engineering, water resources, geotechnical engineering and transportation. Aside from working in the field, a person with an engineering degree can choose to have administrative positions or work as researchers and teachers.
Rapid Growth of the Engineering Industry
The demand for people who graduated from engineering schools is not only steady, but is actually on the rise. Because of the steady increase in civil jobs in the infrastructure and construction industry in particular, engineering is not just a stable job, but a rapidly expanding one as well.
Civil Engineers Receive Competitive Wages
It is not difficult to imagine how the demand for this job affects salary of a civil engineer. Of course, as the relevance of a profession increases, the salary range it comes with also goes up. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that a person who has a bachelor’s degree in this type engineering has the potential to earn at least $52,048 a year. This salary average is considered as among the highest ones of all college degrees.
Before choosing to take up civil engineering in college, it is important that you first consider if you actually have what it takes to be a successful engineer. While the benefits of having this job are simply irresistible, the process of becoming an engineer is not at all easy and simple. But with the right resources and the right choice of an engineering school, you will certainly reach your goal of becoming a famous and successful civil engineer.