The Salary of a Construction Engineer
Construction engineers are the civil engineers focused on the process of building structures. They commonly design and oversee the creation of commercial and government buildings, airports and other transportation stations. Some may also specialize in the construction of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, tunnels, and dams. Others may work on the maintenance or restoration of these structures. Construction engineers have multiple career opportunities through the country, but salaries can differ due to a number of conditions.
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General Nationwide Salary Range
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In May 2010 there were an estimated 249,120 civil engineers working for an annual mean wage of $82,280 according to a survey by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. The salaries in the middle 50 percent, where the majority of engineers reported, ranged from $61,590 to $97,990 a year. The lowest paid civil engineers were represented in the bottom 10th percentile and earned less than $50,560 annually. However, the highest paid engineers in the field fell into the top 10th percentile, reporting salaries of more than $119,320 a year.
Salaries Around the Country
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In a report by SalaryExpert.com, there was evidence that location had a significant influence on wages for construction engineers. For example, in Charlotte, N.C., construction engineers averaged $76,439 a year, noticeably lower than the national average. Orlando, Fla., also reported a lower wage of $78,935 a year. Higher paying cities in the salary report were New York with an average of $94,898 and Los Angeles with an average of $95,924 a year. Even within the same state there were large differences. In Dallas construction engineers made $78,742 a year on average, but in Houston they earned $111,290 a year.
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Experience and Wages
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As with most professions, the more experience a construction engineer has the higher the wages tend to be. Salary.com reports that as on June 2011, construction engineers with 0 to 2 years on the job averaged $54,673 a year, but after 2 to 4 years, that figure jumps up to $61,456 annually. Those with 4 to 6 years of experience were reported to make $72,578 a year on average and construction engineers with 7 to 9 years on the job averaged $95,143 a year.
Type of Employer and Pay
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In 2010, most civil engineers worked for architectural or engineering firms an made $83,320 a year on average. However, working for the government was also common. Construction engineers made $76,530 a year at the state level, $81,430 a year at the local level and $87,020 a year at the federal level. The highest paying jobs in the report were found in the private sector. Engineers working in oil and gas extraction were paid an average of $105,250, but the highest paying employers were commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance companies, boasting an annual mean wage of $133,830.
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