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The differences between civil engineers and structural design 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 structural design engineer. Additionally, a structural design engineer has an average salary of $75,662, 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 structural design engineer are structural design, CAD, and autocad.
| Civil Engineer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,950 | $75,662 |
| Hourly rate | $34.11 | $36.38 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 26,803 | 57,187 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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 Structural Design Engineer designs drawings, specifications, and computer models of structures for building contractors. They help design hospitals, office blocks, houses, bridges, ships, and other structures.
Civil engineers and structural design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,950 | $75,662 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $97,000 | Between $54,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a civil engineer and a structural design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between civil engineers' and structural design engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 17.3% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |