When discussing life-changing careers, we often wrongfully do not include civil engineering in our list. However, civil engineering is one such career that has transformed the lives of humans completely. All the buildings and infrastructure we see around us, ranging from roads to skyscrapers from bridges to highways, are all a result of civil engineers’ expertise and knowledge.
Thanks to civil engineering, humans are able to live in concrete houses that protect them from harsh weather and wild animals. Countless historical buildings and landmarks that are remarkable works of civil engineers have successfully passed the test of time.
There is no undermining the importance, versatility, and demand of civil engineers. Thus, students who are yet to finalize their career path should consider civil engineering. In this article, we point out four reasons for pursuing a degree in civil engineering.
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Area Of Interest And Required Skill Set:
Your strengths and areas of interest in academics are your biggest deciding factor when pursuing a degree in civil engineering. Civil engineering involves designing buildings, solving mathematical and physics-related problems, making blueprints, etc. Thus, it incorporates math, physics, and applied arts. If you have a passion for building things, are good at calculations and solving numerical problems, and, more importantly, if you have an innovative mind and always want to do something new, then this career will be perfect for you.
The best part is that with technological advancement, it is much easier now to pursue education via online programs. If you want to become a civil engineer, you can even enroll in a masters in civil engineering online program provided by a reputable institution. That way, you can pursue your passion without any geographical obstacles. Thus, if you find math interesting, want to make your community better, like planning things, like working on development and innovative projects with teams, and want to beautify the world around you, this degree is your calling.
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Ever-Increasing Demand For Civil Engineers:
The civil engineering industry is responsible for construction, and this is not limited to one sector of the country or a specific type of construction. Civil engineers construct buildings for civilian use, military use, government use, industrial use, and whatnot. They build everything included in an economy’s infrastructure, like hospitals, hotels, water sewage systems, parks, dams, reservoirs, train stations, residential buildings, railways, airports, bridges, roads, highways, etc. And as one can see, constructing these types of things is a constant need in every country. This means there is always a high demand for civil engineers.
As a country develops, it improves its infrastructure by building new things or maintaining old ones. Either way, expert civil engineers are needed for these tasks. This field can never become obsolete as there will always be a need for new roads, houses, bridges, etc., all around the globe. So if you pursue a civil engineering degree, you will never have to worry about the demand for your knowledge and skills.
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Positive Job Outlook And Higher Salaries:
This goes along with the point mentioned above; since the demand for civil engineers is forever rising, this means more and more job opportunities and a positive growth rate of jobs in the field of civil engineering. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that civil engineering jobs will grow by 7% from 2021 to 2031. This is much higher than the average growth rate of all other occupations combined. In theory, it also makes sense, as the world population is increasing daily; the world population hit the 8 billion mark this year, which means an increasing need for houses, hospitals, schools, parks, and everything to accommodate the increasing number of people. Similarly, as a result of urbanization, we are facing a shortage of land, and the only way is to build taller buildings now; civil engineers are the ones who can solve these problems. Thus, over time, there are going to be more and more job openings for civil engineers.
Similarly, it is natural that the profession that is high in demand also gets paid more. So increasing demand for civil engineers means higher salaries. On average, general engineers earn $66,585 annually. But civil engineers earn $87,995 per year. Thus, the average yearly salary of civil engineers is much more than any other type of engineer. The salary of civil engineers is much more than the yearly median wage of all other professions. According to BLS, the annual median wage of other professions is $58,260.
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Several Specialization Options:
When we talk about civil engineering, you can say that it is an umbrella term for so many specialties. Different specialties also mean different career options. You can choose from a wide variety of specializations when you are studying civil engineering based on your interest. Whether you are interested in studying seismology, building bridges, developing strategies to protect the environment from harm, environmental problems, building undersea cities or infrastructure for airports or even the next moonbase, etc., you will find an area of specialization in civil engineering according to your interest. Some common civil engineering specializations include coastal engineering, architectural engineering, energy engineering, engineering mechanics, construction engineering, structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, utility engineering, transportation engineering, etc.
Different specialization options exist, but you can also choose from different career paths. For example, you can be a building control officer or BCO after completing your degree in civil engineering. A BCO or building inspector is responsible for maintaining safety measures like public health, building accessibility, fire safety, energy conservation, etc., and also ensures compliance with the regulations, among other things. Or you could become a consultant. Consulting engineers provide their expert assessment insights by telling whether a specific project is feasible or not to undertake in the first place, etc. The versatility of this career path is truly undeniable.
Conclusion:
Many architectural wonders surround us that are the work of some genius civil engineers. Civil engineers do more than just construct buildings; they build and beautify the communities and the world around us. If you are a student who is thinking of pursuing a degree in civil engineering, this is your cue to do so. There are many benefits of becoming a civil engineer, as they are always in demand, get paid more, and have tons of specialization options to choose from. These four reasons are enough to convince anyone to pursue a degree in civil engineering.