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The differences between junior civil engineers and senior 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 junior civil engineer and a senior civil engineer. Additionally, a senior civil engineer has an average salary of $83,749, which is higher than the $75,301 average annual salary of a junior civil engineer.
The top three skills for a junior civil engineer include civil 3d, data collection and technical reports. The most important skills for a senior civil engineer are civil 3d, project management, and CAD.
| Junior Civil Engineer | Senior Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,301 | $83,749 |
| Hourly rate | $36.20 | $40.26 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 22,219 | 38,162 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A junior civil engineer's responsibilities revolve around utilizing their expertise in design and engineering to work on different construction projects, typically under the supervision of senior engineers. They are also responsible for preparing and understanding blueprints, operating programs for infrastructure design, inspecting sites, liaising with contractors, producing progress reports and presentations, and overseeing the budget, including costs and expenditures. Furthermore, it is essential to implement the company's safety standards and policies to ensure a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
A senior civil engineer is primarily in charge of overseeing the development of public structures such as buildings, bridges, pipelines, and roads. They are responsible for spearheading the design and planning stages, setting goals and objectives, managing budgets and timelines, performing due diligence, inspecting construction sites, and documenting the procedures. Above all, as a senior civil engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model to fellow engineers and contractors, all while implementing the construction site's safety policies and regulations.
Junior civil engineers and senior civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Civil Engineer | Senior Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,301 | $83,749 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $103,000 | Between $60,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Rosa, CA | San Rafael, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Woods Services | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a junior civil engineer and a senior civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Civil Engineer | Senior Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between junior civil engineers' and senior civil engineers' demographics:
| Junior Civil Engineer | Senior Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.4% Female, 20.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 17.7% White, 63.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 16.6% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |