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Civil engineering designer vs office engineer

The differences between civil engineering designers and office 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 engineering designer and an office engineer. Additionally, an office engineer has an average salary of $89,581, which is higher than the $57,842 average annual salary of a civil engineering designer.

The top three skills for a civil engineering designer include civil 3d, site design and erosion control. The most important skills for an office engineer are construction management, construction sites, and shop drawings.

Civil engineering designer vs office engineer overview

Civil Engineering DesignerOffice Engineer
Yearly salary$57,842$89,581
Hourly rate$27.81$43.07
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs102,79159,644
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

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.

What does an office engineer do?

The duties of an office engineer depend on one's place or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing technical and clerical support to the workforce, coordinating different parties involved in a project or program, and implementing the company's policies and regulations. Moreover, as an office engineer, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, maintain accurate data and records of all transactions, manage schedules, perform maintenance checks, and address issues and concerns, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently.

Civil engineering designer vs office engineer salary

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

Civil Engineering DesignerOffice Engineer
Average salary$57,842$89,581
Salary rangeBetween $40,000 And $82,000Between $65,000 And $123,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaMicrosoft
Best paying industry-Retail

Differences between civil engineering designer and office engineer education

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

Civil Engineering DesignerOffice Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 76%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringCivil Engineering
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborNew York University

Civil engineering designer vs office engineer demographics

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

Civil Engineering DesignerOffice Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 80.7% Female, 19.3%Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7%
Race ratioBlack 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%Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between civil engineering designer and office engineer duties and responsibilities

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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Office engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
  • Coordinate and document the testing (soil, concrete, asphalt, and steel) and commissioning of building systems.
  • Schedule and complete registration information for OSHA compliance.
  • Conduct grade elevation analysis and complete material consumption calculations for asphalt plant operations.
  • Instrument engineering, PLC application programming, electrical engineering, modification of medium size boilers and incinerator controls.
  • Enhance SCR system performance for internal combustion engine applications and provide compliance assurance through system troubleshooting and modifying existing PLC programming.
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Civil engineering designer vs office engineer skills

Common civil engineering designer skills
  • Civil 3D, 21%
  • Site Design, 6%
  • Erosion Control, 5%
  • Project Management, 4%
  • Cost Estimates, 4%
  • DOT, 4%
Common office engineer skills
  • Construction Management, 11%
  • Construction Sites, 10%
  • Shop Drawings, 9%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Construction Projects, 5%
  • RFI, 5%

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