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The differences between senior civil engineers and structural 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 structural designer. Additionally, a senior civil engineer has an average salary of $83,749, which is higher than the $63,273 average annual salary of a structural designer.
The top three skills for a senior civil engineer include civil 3d, project management and CAD. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,749 | $63,273 |
| Hourly rate | $40.26 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 38,162 | 51,432 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.
Senior civil engineers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Civil Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average salary | $83,749 | $63,273 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $115,000 | Between $47,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Rafael, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | Tesla |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Construction |
There are a few differences between a senior civil engineer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 structural designers' demographics:
| Senior Civil Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |