Civil Engineer vs. Structural Engineer

A civil engineer is a professional who manages and supervises the building of public infrastructure, while a structural engineer is someone who designs and inspects many different structural projects.

Structural Engineer vs. Architect

A structural engineer is someone who designs and inspects structural projects, while an architect is someone who designs buildings. A structural engineer designs and inspects many different types of structures, including buildings, dams, tunnels, and bridges. Their job is a branch of civil engineering that includes a heavy emphasis on inspection and safety of structures.

How To Become A Structural Design Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a structural design engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Alan Hancock

Structural design engineers are civil engineers who are focused on the architectural integrity of various types of public works. Typically, their main goal is to ensure that a project can withstand varying types and levels of stress. They play an integral role in the safety and efficiency of many different types of urban environments. Their attention is typically divided among issues, including initial design, finance, and construction.

To ensure success, structural design engineers should display an investigative nature, be accurate, and have great communication skills with a keen interest in ensuring the security and physical integrity of buildings and other large structures. Usually, top candidates have fantastic project and budget management skills with great knowledge of construction processes, materials, and legal regulations.

Structural design engineers may work comfortably in an office one day and outdoors at a construction site the next. The reported average annual salary is approximately $86,640. However, this figure can vary significantly depending upon academic qualification, having previous experience, and possession of the aforementioned skills.

What general advice would you give to a structural design engineer?

Alan Hancock

Civil Engineering Technology Instructor, Dakota County Technical College

It is a high, well-paying field that dates back at least 5,000 years to the Egyptians. It cannot be outsourced and will always, no matter what, be needed. Electricians have only been around about 120 years, and IT only about 30 years. We are proven and stable.

ScoreStructural Design EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.9

Avg. Salary $75,662

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 17.29%

Black or African American 3.48%

Hispanic or Latino 10.28%

Unknown 4.55%

White 64.10%

Gender

female 11.12%

male 88.88%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a structural design engineer

Explore structural design engineer education requirements

Most common structural design engineer degrees

Bachelor's

75.9 %

Master's

14.5 %

Associate

6.4 %

Start to develop specific structural design engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Structural Design	14.87%
CAD	9.78%
Autocad	7.04%
Aerospace	6.14%
GD	4.55%

Complete relevant structural design engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New structural design engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a structural design engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real structural design engineer resumes.

Research structural design engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead a team on a year-long retrofit design effort for the F/A-18 E/F wing.
Review of design standards and procedures to conform to current IBC, ASCE, AWWA and ACI codes.
Perform stress analysis by hand and using FEA.
Load rating analysis and calculation methods base on AASHTO LRFR specifications.

Prepare your structural design engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your structural design engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a structural design engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable structural design engineer resume templates

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