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Construction project engineer vs civil engineer

The differences between construction project engineers and civil 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 construction project engineer and a civil engineer. Additionally, a civil engineer has an average salary of $70,950, which is higher than the $68,635 average annual salary of a construction project engineer.

The top three skills for a construction project engineer include construction management, project management and construction materials. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.

Construction project engineer vs civil engineer overview

Construction Project EngineerCivil Engineer
Yearly salary$68,635$70,950
Hourly rate$33.00$34.11
Growth rate7%7%
Number of jobs66,14726,803
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a construction project engineer do?

A construction project engineer specializes in performing technical work while coordinating clients, managers, subcontractors, and suppliers, ensuring efficient and safe operations. Moreover, their responsibilities revolve around reviewing overall construction plans and blueprints, delegating tasks, gathering data, producing progress reports, developing project objectives, and monitoring construction progress while prioritizing the budget and deadlines. They may also control project plans, assess workforce performance, and maintain daily records. Furthermore, it is essential to adhere to safety policies and regulations to maintain a safe work environment for everyone.

What does a civil engineer do?

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.

Construction project engineer vs civil engineer salary

Construction project engineers and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction Project EngineerCivil Engineer
Average salary$68,635$70,950
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $87,000Between $51,000 And $97,000
Highest paying CitySacramento, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAbbottThe Citadel
Best paying industryHealth CareConstruction

Differences between construction project engineer and civil engineer education

There are a few differences between a construction project engineer and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:

Construction Project EngineerCivil Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringCivil Engineering
Most common collegeColumbia University in the City of New YorkUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Construction project engineer vs civil engineer demographics

Here are the differences between construction project engineers' and civil engineers' demographics:

Construction Project EngineerCivil Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 90.3% Female, 9.7%Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 11.4% White, 67.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage5%5%

Differences between construction project engineer and civil engineer duties and responsibilities

Construction project engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage roll-out and operation of new site CMMS system, ARCHIbus.
  • Ensure the quick responses from designers for RFI (s) for all project manage and oversee.
  • Facilitate coordination between MEP trades and manage finishes.
  • Manage QA activities and maintain up-to-date quality control system.
  • Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
  • Lead teams in FDA compliance, IQ-OQ-PQ validation methods.
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Civil engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
  • Manage project programming requirements and manage HVAC design activities.
  • Project manage the overall reorganizing and restructuring of the telecommunication department.
  • Design engineer and project manager for HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection systems.
  • Support and troubleshoot Hewlett Packard printers, servers, switches, thin clients, and Cisco phone systems.
  • Handle and continuously update project documentation as as-built records and construction record reports.
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Construction project engineer vs civil engineer skills

Common construction project engineer skills
  • Construction Management, 20%
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Construction Materials, 6%
  • Construction Projects, 6%
  • Shop Drawings, 4%
  • Meeting Minutes, 4%
Common civil engineer skills
  • Civil 3D, 11%
  • Engineering Design, 7%
  • Cost Estimates, 7%
  • Project Management, 6%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
  • Engineering Projects, 4%

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