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Nicholas Fabiano
Mrs. Judkins
British Literature
14 October 2013
Two Career Aspects of Construction
“The road to success is always under construction,” once explained by Arnold Palmer. In
the field of construction, the two types of careers that are essential are a civil engineer and a
project manager. A project manager oversees the subcontractors and manages the construction of
the building ("Construction Inspectors" 23-26). Civil engineers plan and design bridges, roads,
tunnels and other forms of infrastructure, and also may supervise an aspect of the construction
("Civil Engineer" 128-130). Civil engineers and project managers are different and similar in a
few ways: the nature of the job, education, work environment, and the employment outlook and
earnings.
The nature of the job for civil engineering is different from construction management.
Civil engineers design infrastructure and sometimes supervise the construction of a project to
ensure the correct construction of carefully designed projects ("Civil Engineer" 128-130). In
contrast, a construction manager makes sure a project is done properly, on time and within the
budget allotted (Porterfield 70-77). Civil engineers work with architects to construct
infrastructure such as highways, tunnels, and bridges. Also, civil engineers often specialize in
different fields of civil engineering, such as structural, construction, sanitation, hydraulics,
environmental, and transportation ("Civil Engineer" 128-130). A construction manager starts off
by estimating the costs of the project, schedules and hires the subcontractors, secures the
building permits, and oversees the contractors. A construction manager can then move to the job
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site and oversee the construction of it, or can estimate and bid for other jobs (Porterfield 70-77).
Civil engineers also survey and map out the land to determine the best plots and sites for the
construction ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). These engineers use highly advanced electronic
equipment, such as satellites and laser instruments, to measure and ensure that the ground and
site are acceptable for the construction ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). Construction managers plan
and schedule work, record materials used in the construction, and record the progress made on
the site ("Construction Inspectors" 23-26). The manager keeps price logs and records of the
building materials and a timeline of the progress on the site (Porterfield 70-77). By the nature of
the job, there are clear differences between a civil engineer and a construction manager.
Education for a construction manager differs from a civil engineer. The minimum
education for a construction manager is a four year bachelor’s degree in construction
management is essential now in the field (Porterfield 70-77). The required education for a civil
engineer is a bachelor’s degree in a field, like structural engineering or a different specialization
of civil engineering ("Construction Inspectors" 23-26). While attending an engineering or trade
school for construction management, courses such as algebra, trigonometry, construction
estimating, English composition, surveying measurements, computer-assisted design (CAD), and
site drafting are essential to the degree (Porterfield 70-77). For civil engineering, the courses
vary for each specialty from structural engineering to oceanography. For civil engineering, a
bachelor’s degree can be obtained by attending a four year accredited university, two years in a
community college engineering program with two or three years at accredited university, or five
or six years in a co-op program. However to stay competitive, thirty percent of civil engineering
students receive a master’s degree ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). In comparison of these two
education requirements, education for a construction manager and a civil engineer are different.
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The work environment for a civil engineer and a construction manager are similar.
Construction managers work in an office or on a job site. They either bid for jobs and estimate
the cost of the project in the office or manage the construction and oversee the building process
(Porterfield 70-77). A civil engineer either works outside or inside also. Many civil engineers
work regular 40-hour work weeks in offices, labs, factories and other typical working
environments for an engineer. A civil engineer’s work week consists of several stages: planning,
constructing, and maintaining ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). Civil engineers starts out on the job
site surveying and mapping out the land for the project ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). A
construction manager, if assigned to the job site, stays on the project and manages the
construction until the end of it (Porterfield 70-77). However, a civil engineer, after the
construction of the design is completed, spends less time on the site and more time in the office
working part time on other projects ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). The work environments for a civil
engineer and a construction manager differ in some aspects but are still very similar.
The employment outlook and salary for civil engineers and construction managers are
similar. The demand for construction managers is expected to increase (Porterfield 70-77). The
demand for civil engineers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, is expected to increase as
fast as the average ("Civil Engineers" 38-45). The median annual salary for a civil engineer in
2000 was $55,740 but the top ten percent earned on average annually $86,000. In 2000, civil
engineers working for the federal government had a mean salary of $63,530 ("Civil Engineers"
38-45). However, the median average annual salary for a construction manager in 2006 was
$70,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics (Porterfield 70-77). Even though
the salary ranges for these careers are indeed different, the employment outlook for each is
similar, with a good outlook.
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In conclusion, a civil engineer and a construction manager are different in some aspects
and similar in other aspects. The salary for a construction manager, on average, is higher; the
education for a civil engineer differs from that of a construction manager; and the nature of the
job for a construction manager is different from a civil engineer. Christine J. Flaherty,
construction manager, once said “It’s important to admit when you don’t know something.
Sometimes you simply don’t know the answer and you have to research it. It’s better to make an
informed decision than a quick seat-of-the- pants decision.” In the words of Flaherty, it is better
to ask for help or research an aspect than to just guess on a problem and hope it is right.
Works Cited
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"Civil Engineer." Career Information Center. 9th ed. Vol. 4: Construction. Detroit: Macmillan
Reference USA, 2007. 128-30. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 Sept. 2013.
<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2586800320&v=2.1&u=cant48040&
it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
"Civil Engineers." Careers in Fous:Engineering. Second ed. New York City: Ferguson, 2003.
38-45. Print.
"Construction Inspectors." Discovering Careers for Your Future: Construction. Second ed. New
York City: Fergusion, 2008. 23-26. Print.
"Construction Supervisor." Career Information Center. 9th ed. Vol. 4: Construction. Detroit:
Macmillan Reference USA, 2007. 106-08. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 Sept.
2013.
<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX2586800309&v=2.1&u=cant48040&
it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w>.
Porterfield, Debroah. "Construction Site Manager." Top Careers in Two Years. New York City:
Ferguson, 2007. 70-77. Print.