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CHAPTER 1
What Does a Civil
Engineer Do?
Civil engineers design, build, supervise, operate, and main-
tain construction projects and systems. They are also involved
in creating and managing budgets for projects and for getting
the necessary permits to build the structures and systems. Civil
engineers who focus more on design will spend a lot of time in
meetings with clients, architects, and government agencies. Civil
engineers who focus more on construction will spend a lot of time
at the site, working with contractors and subcontractors. Both
types of work are rewarding.
A 2017 survey of members of the American Society of Civil
Engineers (ASCE) found that civil engineers are generally happy
with their salaries and the work they do. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics reports that the median annual salary for civil engineers
in 2016 was more than $80,000. More experienced engineers
and those who are in supervisory roles in large firms can expect
to make well into six figures. They are also encouraged about the
future of their profession. “It’s an exciting time to be a civil engi-
neer,” says longtime engineer and engineering professor Norma
Jean Mattei, president of the ASCE, adding,
As professionals, we take pride in our work as the stew-
ards of the nation’s infrastructure and value educational
and technical advancement. . . . The salary survey results
show that our skills are appreciated by the market through
compensation and other benefits. Not only is the profes-
sion a fun and exciting one, it is also one where you can
make a good livelihood.
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Civil engineering involves so many different fields that some
engineers become specialists while others prefer to be generalists.
