Scope of Civil Engineering - Salary of Civil Engineers

Scope of Civil Engineering

Due to increase in the scope of civil engineering with the passage of time, it has now got diversified into many branches of study. Some of the significant ones include structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, hydraulic engineering, environmental engineering and a few more important areas of study.

Engineers are employed by a wide range of companies in the United States, from small start up businesses focused on a new invention idea to large-scale companies that work on immense contracts. Engineers from different fields constantly work together to create successful products. When considering the design and manufacture of an aircraft, for example, the workforce behind the development will include aeronautical engineers optimizing airflow paths, analysis engineers evaluating the strength of landing gear developed by design engineers, electronics engineers developing wiring methods and pilot controls, ergonomic engineers designing comfortable seating and computer engineers programming the aircraft operation systems, including everything from the autopilot system to the cabin crew call system.

Apart from structures on land and general transportation systems, civil engineers are also responsible for building good transportation systems for flow of water, i.e. the water distribution systems. The main activities in this undertaking are designing pipelines for flow of water, drainage facilities, canals, dams, etc. Dams are a major source for non-conventional source of electricity and are hence in high demand today. While designing these structures, the civil engineers take into account the various properties of fluids to calculate the forces acting at different points.

Salary of a civil engineer

Pay for civil engineers tend to be reasonably high, considering that these professionals are highly trained and very skilled. Jobs in public service may not command as much pay, but they may come with benefits and prominent positions in the community, while private contractors can woo civil engineers with very attractive benefits and compensation packages. The position can also be dangerous, depending on how much time a civil engineer spends in the field, but it can also be very exciting, especially in regions which are integrating cutting edge technology and design techniques into their public works.