Which Civil Engineering Specialization Pays the Most?

Do you want to know which civil engineering specialization pays the most? Learn about structural engineering salaries & geotechnical engineering salaries.

Which Civil Engineering Specialization Pays the Most?

Engineering Inspectors and Regulatory Officers are responsible for ensuring that projects meet environmental requirements, health and safety standards, and regulatory guidelines. Structural engineering students learn to design large structures and ensure that they can remain functional during high winds and natural disasters, such as earthquakes. They study the gravitational properties of a structure to determine how much weight they can support, since this step allows them to create support mechanisms through beams and columns. It is important for these students to take courses in other physical science topics, such as kinetics, shock waves, and airflow.

After graduating from a program, they can further specialize in construction, bridge design, or aeronautical engineering. Geotechnical engineers deal with basic soil and rock dynamics. Engineers specialized in this field often work in the design, analysis and construction of retaining walls, tunnels, roads, embankments and building foundations. Municipal and urban engineering serves municipal infrastructure that involves specification, design, construction; as well as maintenance of streets, sidewalks, water supply networks, sewers, street lighting, public works, public parks, bicycle infrastructure and municipal solid waste management including disposal, storage and maintenance. Water resource engineering involves the development of infrastructure for safe drinking water in towns and cities. An engineering manager is responsible for planning and directing the installation, testing, operation, maintenance and repair of facilities and equipment.

This engineering work also has to do with project review, business oversight functions, staff supervision, and training. Programs with a management component often emphasize building information modeling (BIM), which is an information technology tool that many construction engineers use for their efforts. An engineering manager coordinates and directs design projects, makes detailed plans to achieve objectives, and directs the integration of technical activities. More than half of all civil engineers work in the architecture, engineering and related services industry. The Professional Engineer License (PE) is the hallmark to strive for after completing four years of engineering experience.

From what I've seen, construction professionals with a civil engineering degree get paid more than their professional office design counterparts. One of the most versatile civil engineers in history is Isambard Kingdom Brunel who became famous for designing tunnels, railway lines, bridges and ships. Civil engineering is a broad field that involves several types of infrastructure projects. It is often useful for professionals to have a thorough knowledge of a particular area. Structural engineering has many aspects and most of the time structural engineers work with project supervisors from the preliminary stage of a project to its final stage.

Ensuring that the project meets environmental requirements, health and safety standards, and regulatory guidelines is a very important function for a structural engineer. Do you want to know which civil engineering specialization pays the most? Many veterans retire and pay is above average for entry-level civilians because they hire mechanics and civilians for many of the same jobs. This specialization involves the study of all the elements and components necessary for a construction project such as wood, steel and concrete.