In today’s society, receiving a job can be hard. But for structural engineers, it’s a little bit easier. Because our society constantly needs things such as buildings, waterways, etc., structural engineers are never short of a job. In fact, it’s said that the need for structural engineers will never die. Although, the chances of each individual getting hired as a structural engineer is different for everyone because if you’re looking to stay in one place, there are only a certain number of jobs available there that fit what you want. So it depends on your location, along with your choice of college(s), your grades, and a couple other factors as well.
The greatest need for this occupation geographically is tied between a few states actually, and some of them are pretty surprising. A few of the states include California, Texas, Michigan, and Alaska. They’re mainly needed in bigger city areas, such as Michigan. But the field of structural engineering is growing rapidly and is continuing to expand to new places every year, so who knows what states will be on that list 10 years from now! Salary
Just like any other career, the salary for each job is different. But most jobs start off around the $30,000-50,000 range. The average starting salary for a structural engineer with 0-2 years of experience is approximately $53,000. Then with 2-4 years of experience, structural engineers are usually making around $68,000 per year. Another huge salary increase comes from having 4-6 years experience. They’re then usually making around $88,000 annually. Then, once they’ve finally worked for around 6-8 years, the begin making about $104,000 every year. So that’s quite an increase from the starting salary of just $53,000. So within 10 years of working as a structural engineer, you can just about double your annual salary. That sounds pretty good to me! Structural engineers aren’t the highest paid engineers out of all the branches of civil engineering, but they sure do make a lot of money! Compared to mechanical or electrical engineers, it might seem like it’s a lot less, but it’s really not, if you factor in the type of work you’re doing and the job requirements. So I think structural engineers have it pretty good when it comes to the salary being compared to the work and requirements.
Education
Name:Tuition (Yearly):Location:
* The Ohio State University$20,000Columbus, OH
* University of Michigan$52,000Ann Arbor, MI
* University of Washington$48,000Seattle, WA
* Worcester Polytechnic Institute$41,000Worcester, MA * University of Cincinnati$10,000Cincinnati, OH
The main two colleges that I’m looking at out of the five listed above are The Ohio State University and The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. The advantages of The Ohio State University are that it’s closer and since I’m an Ohio resident, I wouldn’t have to pay out-of-state tuition. Another advantage is that I’ve already seen their campus. A disadvantage is that I would not fulfill my desire to go to college out of state. An advantage of The University of Michigan is that it’s in Michigan, where there’s a high demand for all types of engineers there. But the disadvantage is that I’m not a Michigan resident, so I would have to pay the out-of-state tuition instead. Another disadvantage is that I’ve never seen their campus, so I don’t know if it would be the best fit for me.
To be accepted into The Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, I would need strong high school preparation in math and physics, in addition to written and verbal communication. I would also need a minimum ACT Math score of 24 or SAT Math score of 560. To be accepted into The University of Michigan I would also need strong preparation in math and physics while in high school. Any other requirements are currently unknown. Coursework- The Ohio State University
Freshman Year:
* Engineering Survey
* Calculus and Engineering Mathematics
* Physics
* Computer Programming
* Introduction to Engineering
* GE courses
Sophomore Year:
* Engineering Mathematics
* Chemistry for Engineers
* Statics
* Dynamics
* Strength of Materials
* Probability & Data Analysis in CEE
* Numerical Methods for CEE
* Professional Aspects of CEE
* CE core course*
* GE courses
Junior Year:
* Civil Engineering Mathematics
* Fluid Mechanics
* Structural Engineering Principles
* CEE Economics and Optimization
* CE core courses
* Additional science elective
* GE courses
Senior Year:
* Capstone Design
* CE core course
* CE technical electives
* GE courses
*CE core courses to be chosen from: Construction Management, Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Design elective, Surveying, Transportation Engineering and Analysis, Water Resources Engineering Coursework- The University of Michigan
* Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering
* Statics and Dynamics
* Solid and Structural Mechanics
* Energy and Environment
* Sustainable Engineering Principles
* Statistical Methods for Data Analysis and Uncertainty Modeling
* Computational Methods for Engineers and Scientists
* Structural Engineering
* Fluid Mechanics
* Geotechnical Engineering
* Civil Engineering Materials
* Environmental Engineering Principles
* Environmental Engineering Laboratory
* Sensors, Electrical Circuits, and Signal Processing
* Professional Issues and Design
* Design of Metal Structures
* Design of Reinforced Concrete Structures
* Hydrology and Floodplain Hydraulics
* Groundwater Hydrology
* Special Problems in Construction Engineering
* Construction Contracting
* Engineering Geology & Site Characterization
* Design of Environmental Engineering Systems
* Environmental Process Engineering
* Introduction to Transportation Engineering
* Aquatic Chemistry
* Environmental Microbiology
* Independent Study in Civil and Environmental Engineering
References
Kristine Tucker (2013) Entry-Level Structural Engineer Salary Retrieved fromhttp://www.ehow.com/info_8027182_entrylevel-structural-engineer-salary.h