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The differences between structural designers 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 structural designer and a civil designer. Additionally, a structural designer has an average salary of $63,273, which is higher than the $58,421 average annual salary of a civil designer.
The top three skills for a structural designer include revit, structural design and BIM. The most important skills for a civil designer are civil 3d, autocad, and civil engineering.
| Structural Designer | Civil Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,273 | $58,421 |
| Hourly rate | $30.42 | $28.09 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 51,432 | 57,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
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.
Structural designers and civil designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structural Designer | Civil Designer | |
| Average salary | $63,273 | $58,421 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $84,000 | Between $41,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tesla | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Construction |
There are a few differences between a structural designer and a civil designer in terms of educational background:
| Structural Designer | Civil Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between structural designers' and civil designers' demographics:
| Structural Designer | Civil Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | 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% |