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The differences between bridge engineers and structural designers 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 engineer and a structural designer. Additionally, a bridge engineer has an average salary of $78,679, which is higher than the $63,273 average annual salary of a structural designer.
The top three skills for a bridge engineer include autocad, structural analysis and AASHTO. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.
| Bridge Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,679 | $63,273 |
| Hourly rate | $37.83 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 16,970 | 51,432 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A bridge engineer specializes in planning and overseeing bridge construction, ensuring efficiency and safety. Their responsibilities typically revolve around understanding the needs of every project and sites, coordinating with experts, setting goals and objectives, managing the budgets and schedules, and developing procedures to optimize construction operations. Furthermore, as a bridge engineer, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the safety policies and regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.
Bridge engineers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bridge Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average salary | $78,679 | $63,273 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $103,000 | Between $47,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Tesla |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Construction |
There are a few differences between a bridge engineer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:
| Bridge Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between bridge engineers' and structural designers' demographics:
| Bridge Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.5% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |