Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between hydraulic 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 hydraulic engineer and a civil engineer. Additionally, a hydraulic engineer has an average salary of $84,440, which is higher than the $70,950 average annual salary of a civil engineer.
The top three skills for a hydraulic engineer include hec ras, civil engineering and HEC-RAS. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.
| Hydraulic Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,440 | $70,950 |
| Hourly rate | $40.60 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 91,749 | 26,803 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Hydraulics engineers are engineering professionals who design projects that are related to the movement and control of fluids. These engineers must perform many studies to understand water systems and design dams, drainage systems, and levees for the local government. They are required to participate in the water resources and flood control planning by creating a deep foundation and flood control structure designs. Hydraulics must also communicate with clients and governing bodies to address their concerns about stormwater and erosion.
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.
Hydraulic engineers and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hydraulic Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,440 | $70,950 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $118,000 | Between $51,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between a hydraulic engineer and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hydraulic Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between hydraulic engineers' and civil engineers' demographics:
| Hydraulic Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.9% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 Percentage | 5% | 5% |