Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between senior civil engineers and civil designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior civil engineer and a civil designer. Additionally, a senior civil engineer has an average salary of $83,749, which is higher than the $58,421 average annual salary of a civil designer.
The top three skills for a senior civil engineer include civil 3d, project management and CAD. The most important skills for a civil designer are civil 3d, autocad, and civil engineering.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,749 | $58,421 |
| Hourly rate | $40.26 | $28.09 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 38,162 | 57,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
A Civil Designer plans, scales, and drafts drawings and maps for roads, bridges, and other construction projects. They work with engineers and project managers in determining material, labor, and other costs of the assigned projects.
Senior civil engineers and civil designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,749 | $58,421 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $41,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior civil engineer and a civil designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between senior civil engineers' and civil designers' demographics:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |