Is a Civil Structural Engineering Career Worth It? - The Truth

Is a Civil Structural Engineering Career Worth It? From the perspective of a licensed structural engineer in California with over 10 years of structural engineering experience.
📗 Chapters 📗
0:00 Intro
0:42 Is a career in structural engineering worth it?
3:03 Private Consulting Firms, Pros and Cons
5:16 The Most Important Thing In a SE job
5:47 Why I haven't switched jobs in 9 years
7:53 Alternate SE career paths that pay more
9:56 A Message To Structural Engineers
💻 My Gear 💻 (affiliate)
KEYBOARD: amzn.to/3pmeBYe
MOUSE: amzn.to/3xM9wfJ
MONITOR: amzn.to/2WQy7iR
DESK PAD: amzn.to/3xJ1zI2
HEADPHONES: amzn.to/33UkVeu
WEBCAM: amzn.to/3xMk7XO
CAMERA: amzn.to/3runQsg
LENS: amzn.to/3ErMblO
👇 SUBSCRIBE TO MAT'S KZbin CHANNEL 👇
kzbin.info...
►Join me as I co-host The Structural Engineering Channel Podcast (TSEC):bit.ly/2Ja3rAU
►iTunes link for TSEC Podcast: apple.co/2JaawkT
►Music I use: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
Mat Picardal is a structural project manager at DCI Engineers. This video and this channel does not necessarily reflect the opinion nor beliefs of DCI Engineers. All thoughts expressed are purely his own observations and experiences.
For business inquiries email: [e-mail]
Follow me on LinkedIn: / matpicardal
Follow me on Instagram: / matpicardal
Disclaimer: Product links are 'affiliate links' so if you click and buy something I get a small commission. This affects you in no way and helps support the channel.
#structuralengineering #civilengineering #structuralengineer

[@JarrettNuyen]

Bro took a break from the youtube videos and started working out, looking healthy Mat! All the best!

[@leoads]

I am a Civil Structural Engineer with 24 years of experience. Long story short, it does not worth it! Not even close to it. The amount of responsibility that you care is huge, and the market does not give the right value for that. A computer programmer or somebody that works in the high tech industry does not have something even close to our responsibility. Even though, they are paid more and have more market value. Usually a Structural project is around 2% to 3% of the total cost of a construction, and you are responsible for the safety of that construction for the rest of your life. Realtors make 6% of the total sales price of a construction ever time they sell it (no matter how many times they sell it), and their responsibility is zero. Not even care to know if everything is ok. If you are a young student trying to decide if it worth, don't even bother, learn AI, or work for the high tech industry.

[@goldwally1428]

I wish I've read this before taking this route

[@BeckWins]

@@goldwally1428never too late. I’m in the midst of figuring out a career change into tech from structural engineering. Let me tell you, when I left the field behind, it was the most freeing feeling. I’m never looking back

[@leoads]

Yes, never too late. Even myself was considering a change in my career.

[@sumitlasiwa7152]

​@@leoadsi think it will provide stable career in long run. Tech will be saturated in coming days and layoffs will be huge. Also in tech you will become obsolete after certain age but in civil you become more valuable

[@leoads]

@@sumitlasiwa7152 are you sure about that? If you go to tech and have experience and knowledge invested you are going to stand out as an asset, with much more value than in structural engineering. Also there is the fact of the responsibility burden associated with it. Of course every profession has its degree of responsibilities but none compared to SE.

[@ilyasianko3605]

Don't go into structural engineering, unless it's the purpose of your life... Pay is very mediocre, especially in the UK and lots of knowledge/responsibility is required. I worked for 2 years on a major UK project (HS2 OOC), so I have fulfillment for the rest of my life. Moved to finances/reinsurance and never looked back to engineering.

[@namelastname8872]

How much better is your pay, and would you say it's a lot less stressful?

[@ThatCivilEngineer]

I think this is the question everyone wants answered but it's really not so simple and does vary from person to person. A lot of people are excited with what Civil Engineers do but once entering the field the money fall short. Especially when Project Management is a hop and a skip away. Overall, I think the civil engineering profession aren't very good advocates for themselves in terms of salary. Everything else you said is true though.

[@hulk8889]

As a 10 years international civil engineer as a Ph.D. candidate my short answer is BIG NO

[@ernestochristianmoralesp.3114]

Could you explain the reason for your comment?

[@hulk8889]

The salary is very low even if you have a master degree(in project management and quantity surveying is better) many of my friend moved to programing and data science sector @@ernestochristianmoralesp.3114

[@zye8360]

If you’re butthurt about pay then switch. We don’t need people like you who endanger the lives of people because you’re clouded by money.

[@hulk8889]

The salary is low even if you have master degree(for project management and quantity surverying is better)Many of my friends moved to programming and data science sector to be in better condition and earn they deserve @@ernestochristianmoralesp.3114

[@kolavithonduraski5031]

as a former structural engineer and now project manager i can understand your answer. i think we like/love the job, but it isnt very "noble" as other jobs. i am from europe, here it is hard work, with many hours over time for a third a salary which can be earnd for ecample as a medical doc.

[@spvoss74]

Great video. Every observation was on point. 👍

[@swoyaman4969]

Very motivating, thank you

[@industrialarts3921]

Design engineers are the whipping boys of whatever company you work for. I've been doing it (mechanical) for 19 years and am still treated like a wayward step child. You're always under a time and budget crunch. You're accountable for EVERYTHING and EVERYTHING is your problem. The pay is meh, I do ok in Houston, but would be struggling in any other major US city. I love design though, and am willing to put up with some abuse to do it.

[@alexhitolo5091]

Still my favorite channel. 🙏🏽

[@TonyA-ex1sj]

Even if you try to find good things about this profession, you won't find them. This profession demands a lot and it does not pay off.

[@SoidHoid]

I agree that chasing pay is a good way to deteriorate your work satisfaction, if the work you're doing or the people you're working with suck. I'm a Structural Engineer for the public sector (bridges). I took the job for the pay, and there's a lot about it that I regret. The frequency that projects get cancelled after many years of effort is soul crushing (usually political or financial reasons). The work environment is challenging, since I'm spending a lot of time doing non-engineering tasks like grant writing, budgeting, and dealing with a lot of obnoxious stakeholders... and it's hard to get out of since the skills I've evolved are particular to the sector. However, the variety in tasks can also be refreshing compared to when I was a consulting engineer. The pay, benefits, and working hours are quite a bit better too. I do envy the consulting engineers, I miss doing real engineering, but the pay is not great. Only way to make money is to become a principal who doesn't do any engineering!

[@MajdAlshama]

Hi Matt. You look much healthier than last time I watched your videos. Keep up the good work. Question: How do you think it's hard for a Canadian Structural PEng to find work and adapt to US (California) codes and industry practices? Is it a must to get my US PE credentials to be able to work in US?

[@bmanpura]

I agree. Well, I used to be an engineer, but me and my dad opened up our own steel fabrication shop for those engineers. We found out that it paid better to do fabs instead of design. It's pretty insane. My friend did very critical works (waterworks analysis for flood management), folded under competitive and ridiculous pricing, and became a general contractor for other stuffs instead. But I think this won't be forever - civil engineering will rebound. I hope it will, for the sake of our people.

[@Scott-mk7tz]

Best thing IMO is work/life balance. I work for a small family owned firm and truthfully we work about 35hrs/wk and the office is basically empty after 1pm on Fridays.

[@roonxhavo2125]

The best ❤

[@thematrix1355]

Love u sir❤

[@BilalKhan-zl4vr]

Hello Mat, great video. As a soon-to-be graduate Civil Engineer, I struggle with confidence in my knowledge of Civil and Structural Engineering. I failed one or 2 structural courses but ended up passing them with good grades and felt like I had a good understanding. But nonetheless, those failures resulted in me constantly second guessing my solutions. Do you think this second guessing is a good quality to have? And that if I start to gain experience in design, I will no longer feel like whatever I design will collapse?

[@nicolasramirez3944]

you'll earn a lot more on the job and people should be checking your work.

[@TheSavageDFA]

Be passionate. People will teach you the way. Keep learning the basics. It is very hard to make a structure collapse. In about 2-3 years in you will have a basic feel. This doesn't mean you will know everything, but you will be able to tell when something is off. Always think about this stuff in reality. Think about the numbers and have a picture of the results prior to even calculating anything.

[@BilalKhan-zl4vr]

@@TheSavageDFAthanks so much; this really puts me at ease. Allows me to focus more on my courses now.

[@Scott-mk7tz]

Don’t worry about it. Just graduate, pass the FE and move on with your life.

[@ngonimandizha7738]

Hi Mat, Congrats on ten years of working! I’m a Freshman Civil Engineering Major at RPI who wants to help out with infrastructure in lesser developed countries as an Engineering Manager/Project Manager, specifically where my family is from (Zimbabwe). Should I go into structural engineering or construction engineering? I enjoy the math in my structural based classes such as Statics and Strength of Materials so far, but I’m also interested in taking some geotechnical classes too along with wanting to minor in business management. Is there anyway I can achieve my goal as a structural engineer with aiding Zimbabwe and other lesser developed companies, or should I try to go down the construction engineering route right away to achieve this? Thank you.

[@ngkngk875]

I feel like you can be of benefit either way, whether you go into structural or construction. It’s good you want to make your native country a better place, I feel like this is the essence of what engineering should be.

[@engrxtn]

Not worth it. The pay doesn’t compensate for how valuable we are to society. Our industry sucks…

[@ngkngk875]

There’s another factor about structural engineers, they aren’t really that valuable until they have quite a bit of experience. I feel like more structural engineers should start in the field to some extent and then get into design with an understanding of the building process. THEN they should be paid a lot of money as an experienced and capable structural engineer with an understanding of the building process can prevent a lot of the mistakes and problems that come up.

[@TRAVIESO_NA]

the guy who builds it with his 2 hands makes more than the guy who designed it..

[@TRAVIESO_NA]

some people in the trades can make 60-90+ a hour. if as a structural engineer you make anything near that, its not worth it.

[@gabebrandt4867]

I’m surprised by a lot of these comments. Where I live Civils are paid about the same as Mechanicals, but there’s wayyy more civil jobs open than mech and most people, even in consulted I hear about say they almost never work more than 40 hours. Most civil can expect to make 6 figures within 5 years which is pretty solid to me.

[@potatofwlix7407]

Where do you live? I’m in cali and thinking of going into structural engineer but this video got me scared

[@user-cg3nx7dl6w]

You stay with ur company because you’re Pinoy at heart & we value fidelity & friendship more than profitability that Americanized Pinoys prefer (read: social climbers).

[@danielkime2868]

What do you think of mechanical engineers transiting to structural engineering?

[@abdala3475]

If you are in america, don't do it. Mechanical is valued way more and have so many job options, from the tech industry to government. The pay is also more. But if you are in less industrialized country, then maybe civil could be a better options.

[@joycedelacruz1735]

@@abdala3475 I am a mechanical engineering student 3rd yr and I just sorted out I want to become a structural engineer so I am thinking to shift in CE, and I am after for fulfillment not of how it pays. I hope it goes well..

[@ramonbaccomperi7871]

You look good.

[@AlbumDumblebee]

@MatPicardal I'm inspired by your progress, and would appreciate if you would be interested in establishing a mentor/mentee relationship. I'm a recent civil engineering graduate, looking to major in structural engineering.

[@yassinriabi7884]

i think construction engineering is the way going forward since office work is going to be replaced by AI in the near futur, at least robots still need an engineer on site

[@sumitlasiwa7152]

Yeah i agree. I am pursuing computer engineering and i am so demotivated right now. It feels like all the hardwork will go in vain . Should have pursued civil

[@FutureDeadGuy007]

The office work has already been outsourced to India. No need for AI.

[@raul36]

Well, I wonder where all those computer, electronics and other engineers will go when AI starts to massively automate their jobs. I don't understand all the fuss. Those jobs are less than 5 years away at most.

[@RiazAhmad-uk9cc]

Matt did you lose weight? You look a lot slimmer and fit!

[@goldwally1428]

Engr. Mat. Pinoy ka po ba ?

[@BeckWins]

Not worth it. Pay is laughable considering the long hours and sleepless nights, and society doesn’t even appreciate us. I studied structural engineering for 5 years and practiced for 5 years in SF and strongly feel I was misguided to believe it was a good path in life. Currently shifting careers into tech, and entry level salaries are significantly more than I would have been making 10 years deep as a practicing structural engineer

[@reanmahmud5598]

Bro can i have a talk with you!? In Instagram / what's app / discord!

[@matteodebonis555]

Excuse me but how much can I expect by working in San Francisco as a civil engineer? I thought salaries were good to be honest.

[@BeckWins]

@@matteodebonis555it depends on a lot of course, but in my case I had finally worked my way up to 89k by my fourth year of practice. My first year I only made 62k. I wish I had been told ahead of time how long it takes in the field to work your way towards a PM role. It takes maybe like 5 years, and that’s when you start making better money but unfortunately 5 years deep was when I started becoming very depressed and frustrated in the field. The amount of work is really not worth it IMO. Take into account the crazy cost of living in SF and suddenly other careers start to look much more appealing

[@matteodebonis555]

@@BeckWins thanks for telling me your experience! So statistics you find on Internet aren’t too reliable? Because according to those one salaries in SF should start from 90/100 k, also for entry level engineers. What kind of alternative carrers would you consider as a good alternative considering a background in Structural Engineering ?

[@Scott-mk7tz]

Beckwins started working prior to inflation and this crazy rise in housing costs. $62k is a starting salary in AZ and UT. Bay Area should be around $75k starting salary.

[@dylanscalfscalf9488]

I too was attacked by a cabbage when I was younger

[@BadStructuralEngineeringFirms]

Structural engineering is not a good career anymore. You can get laid off for no reason at all so the boss can get a big fat raise. Doing a good job is no guarantee of job security. Bosses do not appreciate me. I have experienced it many times. The media thinks structural engineers are bad when people see the collapses and bad engineering. It is hard to find a job as a structural engineering anymore because the employers never get back to me after interviews.

[@Pgan803]

If you are looking at PAY answer is NO. If you look for Technical Satisfaction answer is YES. Structural Engineering is Visual and you can see your Work and its huge, physically

[@ISpitHotFiyaa]

I don't think any form of engineering is worth it just in terms of pay, hours, and educational requirements. There are way easier ways to make money than engineering - especially if you have the brains to handle engineering.

[@jhartlep22]

Such as? I'm thinking of going into electrical and computer engineering or finance as a first-year student

[@mourice1669]

Civil engineering doesn't pay well at all and the work is just so stressfull

[@mojojojo6525]

No

[@qureshisiddig9274]

Worth it or not you have to give the Best of you when you do something not to menteion how does it take to be done how much you earn

[@aliadel1475]

this was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Stupid

[@jyleow1206]

I wanna major in civil because i have interest in it, but i saw many negative thoughts about it 🥲🥲. So tough 😭

[@jhartlep22]

Me too