Employment Statistics and Major Employers of Civil Engineers

In the early 1990s, civil engineers held about 200,000 jobs of the more than 1.5 million engineers employed in the United States. According to the Engineering Manpower Commission, there has been a steady drop in the number of engineers graduated from colleges and universities during the past nine years. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment opportunities in all branches of engineering are expected to be good through the years to come because employment is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations, while the number of degrees granted in engineering is not expected to increase much above present levels. In addition, opportunities for environmental engineers is expected to remain strong for several decades, given the number and complexity of the environmental issues facing the world today.

Approximately 40 percent of environmental engineers work for federal, state, and local government agencies. In the federal government, environ-mental engineers work for the Departments of Transportation, Defense, Interior, and Energy, and in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In state and local government agencies, many engineers are employed in departments of water resources and transportation.

In private industry, environmental engineers work for engineering firms specializing in environmental issues. Many federal agencies contract out much of their actual work to engineering consulting firms in and around Washington, D.C., and around the country. Environmental engineers work in every large and medium-sized urban area, and in many rural communities around the nation. In addition, many engineers teach and conduct research at colleges and universities around the nation.



Salary Statistics

In 1992, specialists with an environmental engineering degree earned a median salary of $59,000. In 1992, the average starting salary for an environmental engineer with a bachelor's degree was $29,376, while the starting salary for master's-degree holders was $34,303, and $46,501 for Ph.D. holders. A typical environmental engineer with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn $39,000 annually after five years in the field, and more than $50,000 after ten years. Engineers with advanced degrees can expect to earn 10 percent to 15 percent more than entry-level bachelor-degree holders.

Entry-level engineers working for the federal government with a bachelor's degree can expect to earn $22,717 to $24,231, depending upon experience. The holder of a master's degree will earn between $27,789 and $29,641, while those with a Ph.D. can expect a salary of $33,623 to $35,865.

In academia, assistant engineering professors earned an average salary of $45,753 in 1992. Associate professors had an average income of $52,896, while full professors earned $70,177 per year. Part-time engineering instructors earned an average of $27,000 per year.

Sources of Further Information

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology 345 East 47th St. New York, NY 10017-2397
  
  
• American Academy of Environmental Engineers 130 Holiday Court Suite 100 Annapolis, MD 21401
  
  
• American Society of Civil Engineers 345 E. 47th St. New York, NY 10017
  
  
• American Society of Sanitary Engineers P.O. Box 9712 Bay Village, OH 44140
  
  
• Junior Engineering Technical Society JETS-Guidance Project 1420 King St. Suite 405 Alexandria, VA 22314-2715
  

The society describes careers for many different engineering concentrations. For further information on a certain area of engineering, or a list of accredited programs, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to JETS.

• •    National Society of Professional Engineers Education Foundation 1420 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314-2715