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The differences between bridge design engineers and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a bridge design engineer and a civil engineer. Additionally, a civil engineer has an average salary of $70,950, which is higher than the $70,594 average annual salary of a bridge design engineer.
The top three skills for a bridge design engineer include civil engineering, CAD and structural design. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.
| Bridge Design Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,594 | $70,950 |
| Hourly rate | $33.94 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 47,376 | 26,803 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A bridge design engineer plans and oversees bridge development projects. Through their expertise, a bridge design engineer creates structural designs for building or restoring bridges, developing guidelines for structural repairs, preparing drafts according to project requirements, and providing technical support to different teams. They meet with clients or representatives to discuss requirements, specifications, and cost estimates. They may also answer inquiries and recommend other options, revising drafts when necessary. Moreover, as a bridge design engineer, they are responsible for managing and overseeing staff while implementing project standards and regulations.
A civil engineer designs and supervises the construction of large-scale public works projects such as buildings, roads, tunnels, highways, airports, bridges, dams, and other substantial infrastructure. Most civil engineers work in the private industry, but some work for a government organization. Their output is almost everywhere. Many of them specialize in a specific project or practice a target profession such as in transportation, structural engineering, or geotechnical engineering. They oftentimes work at project sites, as they monitor the ongoing construction.
Bridge design engineers and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bridge Design Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,594 | $70,950 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $89,000 | Between $51,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | CnS | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Construction |
There are a few differences between a bridge design engineer and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Bridge Design Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between bridge design engineers' and civil engineers' demographics:
| Bridge Design Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.3% Female, 16.7% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 17.8% White, 63.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |