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Civil designer vs civil engineering designer

The differences between civil designers and civil engineering 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 civil designer and a civil engineering designer. Additionally, a civil designer has an average salary of $58,421, which is higher than the $57,842 average annual salary of a civil engineering designer.

The top three skills for a civil designer include civil 3d, autocad and civil engineering. The most important skills for a civil engineering designer are civil 3d, site design, and erosion control.

Civil designer vs civil engineering designer overview

Civil DesignerCivil Engineering Designer
Yearly salary$58,421$57,842
Hourly rate$28.09$27.81
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs57,036102,791
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a civil designer do?

A Civil Designer plans, scales, and drafts drawings and maps for roads, bridges, and other construction projects. They work with engineers and project managers in determining material, labor, and other costs of the assigned projects.

What does a civil engineering designer do?

A civil engineering designer is responsible for creating designs for industrial systems and residential constructions through statistical analysis and data surveys. Civil engineering designers draft comprehensive design plans as part of project proposals, following the clients' specifications and business requirements. They analyze blueprints and schematics to identify resources and materials that would be highly efficient and optimal to support operational functions. A civil engineering designer must have excellent critical-thinking and technical skills, especially in utilizing computer applications and software systems to generate high-quality design deliverables.

Civil designer vs civil engineering designer salary

Civil designers and civil engineering designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Civil DesignerCivil Engineering Designer
Average salary$58,421$57,842
Salary rangeBetween $41,000 And $81,000Between $40,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CityWalnut Creek, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyParsonsMeta
Best paying industryConstruction-

Differences between civil designer and civil engineering designer education

There are a few differences between a civil designer and a civil engineering designer in terms of educational background:

Civil DesignerCivil Engineering Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 44%Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common majorDrafting And DesignCivil Engineering
Most common collegeCarnegie Mellon UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Civil designer vs civil engineering designer demographics

Here are the differences between civil designers' and civil engineering designers' demographics:

Civil DesignerCivil Engineering Designer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 82.9% Female, 17.1%Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.4% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between civil designer and civil engineering designer duties and responsibilities

Civil designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
  • Create and revise detail drawings (MEP).
  • Deliver as-built MEP schematics and structural details.
  • Perform the analysis of guy communication towers using CSA-S37/01 and AISC manual guidelines.
  • Use Trimble GPS station to survey projects, upload data into trimble geomatics office3.
  • Direct or participate in surveying to lay out installations and establishreference points, grades and elevations to guide construction.
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Civil engineering designer example responsibilities.

  • Project manage the overall reorganizing and restructuring of the telecommunication department.
  • Conduct topographical surveys using total station and GPS for design, layout, volumes and establishing boundaries.
  • Perform engineering work in water, wastewater and conveyance infrastructure.
  • Develop design reports, construction documents and specifications for water and wastewater projects.
  • Design and produce plans for commercial and residential projects using Autodesk Autocad/Civil3d, interacting with clients, subcontractors and project managers.
  • Design road intersections and bridge culverts following AASHTO specifications and MoDOT guidelines.
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Civil designer vs civil engineering designer skills

Common civil designer skills
  • Civil 3D, 18%
  • Autocad, 16%
  • Civil Engineering, 8%
  • Civil Design, 4%
  • Site Design, 4%
  • GIS, 3%
Common civil engineering designer skills
  • Civil 3D, 21%
  • Site Design, 6%
  • Erosion Control, 5%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • Cost Estimates, 4%
  • DOT, 4%

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