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Geotechnician vs civil engineer

The differences between geotechnicians and civil engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a geotechnician, 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 $50,211 average annual salary of a geotechnician.

The top three skills for a geotechnician include geotechnical, construction materials and core samples. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.

Geotechnician vs civil engineer overview

GeotechnicianCivil Engineer
Yearly salary$50,211$70,950
Hourly rate$24.14$34.11
Growth rate9%7%
Number of jobs2,06526,803
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age3841
Years of experience26

Geotechnician vs civil engineer salary

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

GeotechnicianCivil Engineer
Average salary$50,211$70,950
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $81,000Between $51,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City-San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state-California
Best paying company-The Citadel
Best paying industry-Construction

Differences between geotechnician and civil engineer education

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

GeotechnicianCivil Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorGeologyCivil Engineering
Most common collegeDuke UniversityUniversity of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Geotechnician vs civil engineer demographics

Here are the differences between geotechnicians' and civil engineers' demographics:

GeotechnicianCivil Engineer
Average age3841
Gender ratioMale, 68.6% Female, 31.4%Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 9.7% White, 56.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%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 Percentage8%5%

Differences between geotechnician and civil engineer duties and responsibilities

Geotechnician example responsibilities.

  • Manage daily RCRA inspections and mechanical, electrical, and electronic equipment preventive/corrective maintenance procedures.
  • Locate wells using well permit information, maps, and GPS coordinates in the field.
  • Serve geologists and geochemists by researching data in industry repositories to load to Petra and ArcGIS 9.3/10.
  • Assist HAZWOPER technicians with logistical support for operations on project operations including research of facilities and vendors need for project completion.
  • Develop innovative PowerPoint presentations on current environmental issues in Arizona for reporting purposes.

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.
  • Show more

Geotechnician vs civil engineer skills

Common geotechnician skills
  • Geotechnical, 55%
  • Construction Materials, 11%
  • Core Samples, 8%
  • Water Samples, 6%
  • GPS, 6%
  • Soil Samples, 5%
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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