Post job

Senior civil engineer vs engineer

The differences between senior civil engineers and 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 senior civil engineer and an engineer. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, which is higher than the $83,749 average annual salary of a senior civil engineer.

The top three skills for a senior civil engineer include civil 3d, project management and CAD. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.

Senior civil engineer vs engineer overview

Senior Civil EngineerEngineer
Yearly salary$83,749$92,077
Hourly rate$40.26$44.27
Growth rate7%2%
Number of jobs38,162618,207
Job satisfaction-4.33
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a senior civil engineer do?

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.

What does an engineer do?

Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.

Senior civil engineer vs engineer salary

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

Senior Civil EngineerEngineer
Average salary$83,749$92,077
Salary rangeBetween $60,000 And $115,000Between $65,000 And $130,000
Highest paying CitySan Rafael, CAHuntsville, AL
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNew Hampshire
Best paying companyMicrosoftFort Bend County
Best paying industryRetailAutomotive

Differences between senior civil engineer and engineer education

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

Senior Civil EngineerEngineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeUniversity of Michigan - Ann ArborMichigan Technological University

Senior civil engineer vs engineer demographics

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

Senior Civil EngineerEngineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 88.9% Female, 11.1%Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between senior civil engineer and engineer duties and responsibilities

Senior civil engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage a geotechnical investigation that include determining boring locations and soliciting bids.
  • Analyze bridge structures for deficiencies following the AASHTO code using hand calculations and software.
  • Respond to RFI's and keep the daily logs and quantity book up to date.
  • Design bridges and other highway relate structures using PennDOT standards, and AASHTO policies and procedures.
  • Represent the client (MTA) during CPM schedule update reviews and contractor requests for change orders.
  • Evaluate contractor's procedure for execution, CPM's, breakdowns for payments and contractors certifications for payments.
  • Show more

Engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage startup, trouble shooting and testing of PLC control equipment.
  • Lead project team to design and FDA validate 10-up extreme accuracy vial dosing system and CIP/SIP automate cleaning equipment.
  • Automate the creation of a WebLogic Admin and manage server deployment scheme within an installer for secure application deployment.
  • Install and test PLC in client own equipment on site - solve some logical and hardware issues to accomplish goal
  • Implement and manage continuous delivery systems and methodologies on AWS.
  • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
  • Show more

Senior civil engineer vs engineer skills

Common senior civil engineer skills
  • Civil 3D, 13%
  • Project Management, 11%
  • CAD, 5%
  • Construction Management, 5%
  • Geotechnical, 4%
  • Business Development, 4%
Common engineer skills
  • Python, 8%
  • Cloud, 6%
  • C++, 5%
  • C #, 5%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Java, 4%

Browse architecture and engineering jobs