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The differences between civil engineering technicians and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a civil engineering technician, becoming a civil engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a civil engineer has an average salary of $70,950, which is higher than the $53,829 average annual salary of a civil engineering technician.
The top three skills for a civil engineering technician include civil 3d, asphalt and construction sites. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.
| Civil Engineering Technician | Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,829 | $70,950 |
| Hourly rate | $25.88 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | - | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 75,756 | 26,803 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
A civil engineering technician assists civil engineers in planning, designing, and constructing bridges, highways, and other infrastructure projects. Civil engineering technicians typically work under the leadership of licensed civil engineers. They focus on construction projects for industrial, development, residential, and commercial infrastructure. It is imperative for them to have a better understanding and work with systems associated with construction projects. They should be equipped with knowledge of engineering, construction, and reading skills.
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.
Civil engineering technicians and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineering Technician | Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $53,829 | $70,950 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $78,000 | Between $51,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | City of Los Angeles | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Construction |
There are a few differences between a civil engineering technician and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineering Technician | Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 44% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between civil engineering technicians' and civil engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineering Technician | Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.5% Female, 17.5% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 7.5% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |