Civil engineers design and lead construction projects, such as, building roads, airports, dams, and water and sewer treatment systems. They are critical to the general infrastructure of any city, including New Hampshire. In addition, they are also involved in providing cost estimates for repairs and for construction. Their normal day to day working conditions are mostly indoors in offices. However, they will occasionally have to go off-site to visit projects in person, so some travel is expected.
The educational requirements can be intense and exhaustive. Most civil engineers need to obtain a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a similar degree and must be approved by an accreditation board to be recognized as a valid degree. The coursework involved is a variety of classroom lecture, laboratory, and internship field work. These courses are demanding and require students to have excellent:
- problem solving skills
- decision-making abilities
- understanding of complex math
- leadership abilities
The state of New Hampshire requires a joint board of licensure and certification for any professional engineer, which includes civil engineers. Generally the state requires you to have a bachelor or science degree that is ABET accredited or other accredited 4-year institution that has engineering curriculum. In addition, they must have more than 10 years of accumulated engineering experience under a current licensed engineer. Once these qualifications are met, they can apply for the PE or Professional Engineer License. The licensing requires you to pass and examination and pay a fee. The license is good for two years, in which you must renew before the expiration date of the license. Once the license is obtained, there is also a continual education requirement that must be met every two years. Each licensed engineer must obtain at least 30 professional development hours to be able to renew your license.
Civil engineering is a highly specialized career, which makes the demand for jobs high. Over the next 10 years, the demand for these types of jobs will increase by 19%. As the cities become more congested with people, the need for civil engineers will continue to grow to help keep the cities infrastructures running smoothly. On average, civil engineers can expect to make a yearly salary of $72,510 but more experienced ones can make upwards of $96,790.