Top 3 Reasons to Become a Civil Engineer

Have you ever thought about becoming a civil engineer?

Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of large-scale construction and infrastructure projects. Civil engineers often split time between the office and project sites. These sites might include new roads and highways, water and sewage facilities, bridges, tunnels, dams, and electrical plants.

With the construction industry continuing to take on more new projects, a career as a civil engineer is a great option for people who are detail-oriented, good with math and physics and looking for exciting opportunities to lead.

Here are three of the top reasons to become a civil engineer.

See Work Come to Life

In the construction industry, you get to see the fruits of your labor. All the planning, designing and coordination that goes into the project truly comes to life as it gets built.

In a lot of other careers, you might be stuck doing paperwork or tasks that don’t seem to have a tangible benefit. But with a career in civil engineering, you can watch as a project goes through each step in the process, from foundation to framework to finishing touches.

At the end, you get to see the final results: a new hospital, stadium, power plant, factory, bridge or any number of other types of structures. You get to have a hand in creating something incredible and take pride in the outcome.

Great Pay

Construction is one of the largest and most important sectors in the U.S. economy. With the total industry valued at more than $1.36 trillion, there is a lot of money in construction.

Skilled civil engineers can receive a great paycheck. They earn an average annual salary of $95,440 and many make six figures.

Although choosing a career is about much more than money, being able to make good wages is still important. As a civil engineer, your earnings can help you live a comfortable lifestyle.

Chances to Make a Difference

There are lots of different types of construction projects that you might be a part of as a civil engineer. But one thing they will all have in common is that they make a big impact on the lives of others.

Take a hospital for example. You aren’t just helping to create a structure make of steel, stone and wood. You’re building a place where mothers will bring their babies into the world. A place where patients will get the good news that they beat cancer. A place where a successful surgery leads to a happier and healthier life.

Another example might be a bridge. Over its life, the bridge you help design and build will service millions of drivers and pedestrians and help them get to where they’re going. Your bridge will help families drive to visit relatives during the holidays with a car packed full of gifts, or help a convoy of utility trucks speeding to help in the recovery of a natural disaster.

Everything that the construction industry builds makes a difference in the lives of the people who will utilize those buildings and structures.

Want to learn more about civil engineering? Check out our career page.