Lots of people look towards famous civil engineers like Reddy Kancharla and want to do a similar job. Civil engineers are well-paid and there is a lot of demand for their skills. It is also an interesting and varied career that requires both field and office work, meaning that no two days are ever exactly the same. Kancharla welcomes the fact that admissions to colleges and universities offering civil engineering degrees is rising, and he has developed four key reasons as to why people may want to consider it as a career.
1. Demand Is Strong and Rising
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were some 281,400 civil engineers employed in May 2016. Demand is also strong, standing at 8% by 2024. These professionals are found in a wealth of different industries, including engineering services, government, and construction. One of the key reasons why demand will continue to be strong, is because there is always a demand for new buildings and for ensuring existing buildings continue to be fit for purpose. And with President Donald Trump’s commitment to increasing spending on U.S. infrastructure, it is likely that demand will only rise more.
2. There Are Lots of Possible Specializations
Civil engineering is incredibly broad and there are lots of specialization options to choose from as well. When someone enrolls in college, they can build the curriculum of their degree to suit their personal needs and interests. Some of the possible specializations include:
- Structural engineering.
- Construction.
- Geotechnical engineering.
- Water resources.
- Transportation.
There are others, as well. Plus, someone can choose whether they want to work in the field and/or in administrative positions.
3. The Engineering Industry as a Whole Is Growing
There is a rapidly rising demand for people with engineering skills. As stated, demand in infrastructure jobs is rising, and it is in construction as well. What this means, mainly, is that it is rare for people to be jobless once they graduate, and that their job will usually offer them a lot of job security as well.
4. Salaries Are Very Competitive
Whenever jobs have such strong demand, salaries rise. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the average salary for a civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree is $83,540. Meanwhile, the top 10% of earners earn $132,880 per year or more. This is one of the highest of all salaries for bachelor’s degree holders, and certainly something that attracts more people into the job.
If you are considering studying towards a civil engineering job, do make sure that you determine whether your interest lies in engineering at all. While it is a job with a lot of benefits, not everybody can be the next Reddy Kancharla, and only does with a talent and a passion, those who would choose this career even if it didn’t bring with it the above four benefits, will have a chance of being that well-known. One of the reasons for this is because it is not a role with many transferable skills.
