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The differences between civil engineers and site 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 site engineer. Additionally, a site engineer has an average salary of $75,719, 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 site engineer are project management, infrastructure, and site safety.
| Civil Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,950 | $75,719 |
| Hourly rate | $34.11 | $36.40 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 26,803 | 42,333 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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.
A Site Engineer supervises the building work and contracted staff, and ensures that all projects meet the agreed specifications, budgets, and timescales. They provide technical advice and solve various problems on-site.
Civil engineers and site engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,950 | $75,719 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $97,000 | Between $53,000 And $106,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Fitbit |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a civil engineer and a site engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between civil engineers' and site engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineer | Site Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% |
| 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, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.4% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |