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

What is a structures engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Bin (Brenda) Zhou Ph.D.

These experts design structures, select appropriate building materials, check the construction work, and ensure the structural soundness of buildings and structures. They generate reports, designs, and drawings. They calculate the pressures, loads, and stresses a proposed structure can withstand. Also, they provide technical advice on structures designs and construction. Structures engineers work with architects and other engineers. Additionally, they obtain building and planning regulations approval and other necessary documents.

Structures engineers are required to have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering and at least six years of work experience in a related role. Candidates must belong to the relevant institutes. You must be an expert in project management. You must be familiar with construction methods, materials, and legal regulations. Skills required for this role are problem-solving, analytical, attention to detail, communication, and organization skills. These professionals are paid about $79,728 yearly. Their salary ranges from $59,000 to $108,000.

What general advice would you give to a structures engineer?

Dr. Bin (Brenda) Zhou Ph.D.

Professor, Central Connecticut State University

It is going to be difficult to land a dream job this year, and probably next year too. Be open-minded and try different fields, types of jobs, and sizes of firms. Be adaptive to the changing environment; a virtual career fair may sound strange, but it can and will work for those who are prepared. Be proactive; communicate with people in your network (e.g., family, friends, classmates, professors) and let them know that you're looking for a job in "broad" civil engineering.

ScoreStructures EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $73,391

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 17.35%

Black or African American 3.49%

Hispanic or Latino 10.30%

Unknown 4.55%

White 64.01%

Gender

female 15.14%

male 84.86%

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 structures engineer

Explore structures engineer education requirements

Most common structures engineer degrees

Bachelor's

71.3 %

Master's

20.9 %

Associate

3.6 %

Start to develop specific structures engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Structural Analysis	9.86%
Revit	8.48%
RISA	5.19%
CAD	4.18%
ACI	4.01%

Complete relevant structures engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New structures 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 structures engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real structures engineer resumes.

Research structures engineer duties and responsibilities

Lead group meetings with participants from various interfacing IPT s to coordinate design.
Authore substantiation documents in compliance with FAA regulations and customer requirements to achieve type certifications and supplemental type certifications.
Perform structural modeling and design calculation using 3-D FEA software for seismic design and wind design.
Design steel & concrete structures for above mention analyses base on AISC, ACI and local building codes.

Prepare your structures engineer resume

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

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