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The differences between civil engineers and project field 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 civil engineer and a project field engineer. Additionally, a project field engineer has an average salary of $71,292, which is higher than the $70,950 average annual salary of a civil engineer.
The top three skills for a civil engineer include civil 3d, engineering design and cost estimates. The most important skills for a project field engineer are shop drawings, project management, and OSHA.
| Civil Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,950 | $71,292 |
| Hourly rate | $34.11 | $34.27 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 26,803 | 78,589 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Field engineers are engineering professionals who work on-site in a different setting to direct workers and report to the management about the status of different projects. These engineers are required to resolve malfunctions or other crises such as construction or machinery problems while overseeing repairs and technical improvements. They must conduct research and studies on-site and installing new systems and technology to ensure smooth operations of machinery. Field engineers must also communicate with clients to discuss and determine the needs and explain complex issues of projects.
Civil engineers and project field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,950 | $71,292 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $97,000 | Between $56,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oklahoma |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | OHL USA |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Energy |
There are a few differences between a civil engineer and a project field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between civil engineers' and project field engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |