home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- 64
- Civil Engineers
-
- (D.O.T. 005.061, .167-014 and -018; and 019.167-018)
-
- Nature of the Work
-
- Civil engineers, who work in the oldest branch of engineering,
- design and supervise the construction of roads, airports, tunnels,
- bridges, water supply and sewage systems, and buildings. Major
- specialties within civil engineering are structural, water
- resources, environmental, construction, transportation, and
- geotechnical engineering.
-
- Many civil engineers hold supervisory or administrative positions,
- ranging from supervisor of a construction site to city engineer.
- Others may work in design, construction, research, and teaching.
-
- A civil engineer completes plans for a city park recreational
- complex and roadway system.
-
- Employment
-
- Civil engineers held about 173,000 jobs in 1992. Over 40 percent of
- the jobs were in Federal, State, and local government agencies.
- Over one-third were in firms that provide engineering consulting
- services, primarily developing designs for new construction
- projects. The construction industry, public utilities,
- transportation, and manufacturing industries accounted for most of
- the rest.
-
- Civil engineers usually are found working near major industrial and
- commercial centers, often at construction sites. Some projects are
- situated in remote areas or in foreign countries. In some jobs,
- civil engineers move from place to place to work on different
- projects.
-
- Job Outlook
-
- Employment of civil engineers is expected to increase about as fast
- as the average for all occupations through the year 2005, spurred by
- population growth and an expanding economy. More civil engineers
- will be needed to design and construct higher capacity
- transportation, water supply, and pollution control systems, large
- buildings, and other structures, and repair or replace existing
- roads, bridges, and other public structures. Most job openings,
- however, will result from the need to replace civil engineers who
- transfer to other occupations or leave the labor force.
-
- Because construction and related industries including those
- providing design services employ many civil engineers, employment
- opportunities will vary by geographic area and may decrease during
- economic slowdowns, when construction often is curtailed.
-
- Sources of Additional Information
-
- American Society of Civil Engineers, 345 E. 47th St., New York, NY
- 10017.
-
- (See introductory part of this section for information on training
- requirements and earnings.)
-
-
-