High liability to salary ratio?

Hey Mat! I'm currently pursuing my MS in Structural Engineering at Georgia Tech. Your videos have been extremely helpful! Thank you so much for all your help! I've been following your channel for a while now and I would love to connect with you! Is there a way that I could get in touch with you?

Your vid is spot on Mat!

@@TheDarthVader11 Literally millions of people's lives are in my hands every day. Not at all overexaggerating, just totaling up the people in buildings and cars over and under bridges I have been legally responsible for adds up to that much...I am still not a 6 figure employee though; that's the ratio. An acquaintance of mine is a computer science guy who has developed an app to more effectively market clothes, nail polish & other consumer B.S. He makes 300K a year, no liability, 30 hours worked a week. That's the idea. Personally, I take the lower pay for the rewarding work and knowing that the logistics of society could not go one without engineers like me. We are the unpraised essential workers.

I very much agree with your view on salary/compensation and how its important to market the value of yourself or your company. I think most owner's/developers don't value what engineers do because they don't fully grasp what we do and the risks involved. So in order to ask for higher fees, we have to find ways to better educate people about what we do and why it's valuable. I think this is a pretty key factor that can make or break the structural engineering profession because compensation can have a trickle down effect to stress and work-life balance.

As a structural engineer. I agree 100% the fact that everyone is trying to outbid each other and lower the prices and then the ridiculous deadlines. Along with the liability that we take on. All that being said, I am switching careers! This is as an engineer 4 years in. Just don't see a good future in this field. PLEASE, ANYONE INTERESTED IN THIS FIELD, DO INTERNSHIPS.

@@arlstream551 Do you mean I should take internships to see if I really want to be in the civil engineering field?

@@arlstream551 hii sir, I'll be studying mtech in structural designing, and I'm very interesting in designing,so it is the best job or not in future.p/s give me the suggestions.

100% with you, if you're at a small practice or have a small structural team with few resources, it's incredibly challenging...

yeah, I've been always wondering how a real estate made 50 times more on the sale of that 4 story beach front mansion with a pool on the roof than what my office made on providing structural engineering services for the whole building.... After they close the sale, they walk away without any responsibilities. And yet our names will always stay on str. set of plans that are to provide a safe long lasting structure for the occupants...

facts for the level of responsibility and oversight the pay is not worth it. I work in a design firm and we take on so much in terms of having to design review, monitor, and report on projects for our clients. Some weeks I work 6 days a week. It always feels like you're working from deadline to deadline and it's very stressful sometimes.

Hey there! I was planning to do my Masters in Transportation. So I wanted to ask, should I go for it ? Is it demanding in civil sector ? And the question for which everyone wants the answer, what's the pay grade ? Thanks

Hey so I’m 15 and interested in civil engineering. I haven’t done much research about other paths in engineering yet

@@HTheHeat619

@@HTheHeat619

Yeah, plus i see lots of managerial titles change to engineering ones. Management is not engineering

Truthful Bobby

By the way, when i did work as a structural engineer - i worked in mining/industrial projects. Generally speaking we earned about ~10%-15% more than the guys doing residential or commercial projects. There is definitely a hierarchy in the industry. In aerospace my job title is "stress engineer", and i do very very similar work. There is huge demand for structural engineer skillset but you won't get the $ doing buildings.

@@Murfster How did you transition from structural engineering to aerospace? Did you go back to university and if so how long for?

@@hellothere8812 I have a BS in mechanical engineering, and a MS in structural engineering. The mechanical background helped but wasn't required. There are a lot of civil/structural guys who go into aerospace, specifically into "structures". My official job title when i transitioned over was "Stress Analysis Engineer" and I mainly dealt with stress/structural analysis of large factory machinery (think cranes that can pick up your house, or work stands that can hold a jumbo jet). From there I moved on to aeronautical engineering. It's pretty easy to make the shift if you catch the industry on an upswing. When recruiting is booming they will take anyone qualified in related engineering fields :-)

@@Murfster Thanks very helpful.

@@cosmo9560 BSMechE 2008; MSCE (Structural) 2013. There are lots of structural engineers at Boeing, Northrop, Lockheed, Bombardier.ect. It's generally not that difficult to make the transition, but on aerospace side they are often called "Stress" engineers, although structural or structures engineers is also a common job description. Not sure there are too many opportunities for other civil branches though (no need for geotech engineers at an airplane company for example).

PREACH!

LOUDER

Yup. Been thinking about building my house and thought thus as well, no clue why they make more money for the easier job, I'd rather an engineer help me with my project.

Thanks for the support Ed!

Then quit your job.

I take your course lol 😂 I should be studying 📚

@@alfonsoperez1762 You've got this! Remember to make your study space distraction-free! But remember, it's ok to take a break sometimes to prevent burnout!

You're courses got me thru college!! Thanks enGENIEer

emGENIEer I really love your videos, they're so helpful. Thank you so much

Same! Knowing both the pros and cons can help students make an informed decision on their careers. The pros and fulfillment obviously beat out the cons for me :)

If you love it, keep at it. We need good structural engineers. And there are managers out there who will help with work-life balance. You just need to find them and advocate for your needs.

One of my best mentors told me that "Engineering is too much of a grind to not love the work." And we never stop learning, that's the best part of the job!

我也是，可以加微信吗

Well you can easily determine who's responsible for the errors. If they don't follow the plans you layed out for them then they can't blame you, since the evidence will be in the drawings and specs, but if they follow your drawings and instructions to a T and there's problems then it most certainly is your fault.

Problem is, so much of the structural plans we’re getting these days are horrible. The experience level isn’t there in the engineering stage and as a contractor we’re basically helping design it during the preconstruction process.

Taking classes on using cad and design, and I do find it amusing to create the blueprints of a structure. I hope to be a part of this field.

Civils make good money but not justifiable for what we put into it. When you can integrate inflow and outflow curves to determine a stormwater pond size and your neighbor doesn't know what a square root is....but he sells a widget....well there is something boozed up here.

I'll answer two and three. I don't think you need site engineer experience, though it could be helpful so I won't discourage it if you want to do that. A manager with good training skills will take you out in the field to give you that experience. And if they don't, advocate for it. As for internships, I would say find one that fits your interests first, and then branch out just in case you can't get exactly what you want. Most big firms like mine have structures divided up by buildings and bridges, and smaller firms may only have one or the other, and even then perhaps they only specialize in one type of structure, such as post-tensioned parking structures or tilt-up distribution centers. If you want more specific advice, I am a little biased towards larger firms because they have structured internship programs that can get you involved in many different things and give you an opportunity to network with other interns across the country. I just finished this summer with my first intern, and she dove in head first to our company's program and was able to meet a lot of people and learn about other things civil engineers do, not just bridge engineering. Because of that opportunity for exposure to many different things I think she had a very educational experience beyond working with my group.

Salary?

@@harvestingseason2725 Pension deductions mean take home is less than private. For licensed engineers gross pay around 90k, with room to grow over 120k. Senior positions get more, of course. The time and freedom to do work outside of the 9-5 gives supplementary income

As soon as you can. Most get internships on their junior or senior year, but it couldn't hurt to apply sooner. Your construction experience might increase your chances as well. Try out as many internships as you can for the fields that interest you, that's where you'll really see what they are like working in those careers.

Even if you're a people person like me, the client's level of sophistication can really drive a relationship. Those difficult conversations such as out of scope requests and changes can get brutal if the client doesn't understand or is able to navigate contractual relationships.

Nothing wrong with tech and programming, it’s a good career, but everyone is different with different priorities in pay, work enjoyment, and what they are good at. For me, I really valued engagement and fulfillment in my work (nothing like seeing a building you designed being built) and I was willling to take that knowing I wouldn’t be paid as well as doctors lawyers or programmers. But that’s me and everyone is different. If you can find a career where you can find the right balance in what makes you happy at work and sustaining your lifestyle expenses, then that’s awesome!

Mind me asking what is the typical salary range for 18 yrs experience SE in Bay Area? (Assuming you're principal) ?

@@rezaalishahi396 Not sure. Since I exited the corporate route I've never looked back. The video had a good graphical breakdown of salaries with respect to years of experience. Hope that helps

@Mahmoud Galal My dear friend, my best advice would be to decide whether you want money or a fulfilling career. In a perfect world, the two are one in the same, but we know now more than ever, this world is far from perfect. I think dentist make much more than engineers so if you don't want to be a poor engineer, definitely make the switch. But I don't know what kind of stress dentists are under. I've actually stopped going to the dentist because the ones I was going to were only providing temporary solutions requiring me to keep going back for more fillings, capping my teeth and one or two root canals which has destroyed parts of my mouth. I simply stopped eating so much manufactured sugar and switched to fruits and vegetables, floss and brush regularly and haven't needed to the dentist in more than 8 years. At any rate, I enjoy structural engineering so I decided to stick with it and it turns out working for yourself is much more lucrative, but I still find myself having to deal with engineers that keep undercutting the profession and selling our services for cents on the dollar. Not sure if this has helped you, but I'm also slowly making the transition to agriculture in my own country because in the US system, you'll find that it's never quite enough. The "poor" people are doing everything to get rich, and the rich people are doing everything to stay rich. In the end, you begin to realize, this system will not be able to sustain itself on credit, debt, and fictions wealth because the banks own most of everything and the second you don't make those payments, they have no problem taking what ever it is right back and lending to the next line of people trying to get a slice of the American dream. It's a good country with many opportunities, but many of us never stop to think at what costs are these opportunities come with until we're knee deep in debt and have to keep playing the game. I don't own my house out right, but am on course to pay it off much faster than the 30 year mortgage and that's mainly because I work for myself. Dentistry might get you money much faster so it's a good plan if you ask me, but I'm not into needles and anatomy of the mouth so if you think you can swing it, I wish you all the best. Just do everything you can to not get caught up in this sneaky and sinister game of credit and debt. Best of luck my friend.

@Mahmoud Galal Hello my dear brother. Feel free to send your email and let's continue the conversation by email. You'll see my contact information after I respond. Thank you

@Mahmoud Galal Just sent you an email my brother, hopefully you've received it. Thank you

I already have another path. I worked over 5 years as a structural engineer in my country, and I could realize that doing this for a living is not suitable profitable. It's a shame because this professional is vital to keep working any society, but first I need to care of my pocket because of they are empty, there is nothing to eat.

I totally agree. I'm invested, I'm here, I'm likely sticking with structural engineering. But I wouldn't recommend kids follow my path unless they really think this is their dream job. I went this direction largely because of assumed financial plusses, and turns out there aren't too many here.

Financial and job stability reasons were two draws for me. And on its face I'm paid well. But over my career the liability demands and effort to earn that living have seemed to outpace the earned value. On that survey, I also think respondents are being low on their hours. It's not uncommon for every structures engineer I know in both my company and market- especially management - to work at least 50 hours if their firm has work. And if you're on design build projects I've known some bridge designers to work 60+ for multiple weeks straight. I don't want to discourage anyone, but stress again this is a job you have to want to do.

@@erichansen2860 hey Eric, Could I help from your experience? I am undergraduated civil engineering student from Slovakia and I had focused on BIM before; Naviswork simulations, 3D modeling, Mep Design and more.. But now i am more dealing with structural part and trying to practice on ACI and Eurocode standarts and writing my graduation project in this field. What do u suggest, which field is mainly better for finding job in Europe/US?

Just imagine in my country Nicaragua. We usually work over 48 hours a week and the average salary is 350 dollars jajajaja. I love this profession, but since the very beginning of this year, I decided to leave it behind and create a new career doing something different for a living.

@@TonyA-ex1sj I am originally from Venezuela, and worked there my first years, so totally agree with you. Maybe with the exception of Puerto Rico and Chile, professional jobs are really underpaid all over the region. In the current days Venezuela could be the worst by far I would say (based on what I know from my family / friends there), but the whole region is terrible

Tough hey

I think so... younger engineers do this.

Wow lead to depression? I'm sorry. How are you feeling ?

you dont need powerful computer unless your into 3d modeling and rendering. most of the civil engineering software dont require top of the specs. so i would recommend any entry level gaming laptop.

Buy the Mac to watch videos, edit photos, engage in social media, things like that. For serious engineering use you will have to buy a Windows machine. However unless you are self-employed you will probably be using the computer supplied by your employer since they will have to have all of the programs that they own installed on it. It would not be feasible for you to buy your own versions of engineering software. If you anticipate needing to be mobile such as for travel, working at home, attending meetings, then your employer should furnish you with a laptop. I work in a large company and all of our engineers and drafters use powerful laptops.

I totally agree. Engineering of all kinds is a very useful field. Not to get too prideful, but I think engineers are capable of improving the world better than anyone else. Maybe not roadway guys. They just draw curvy lines and call it a day. 😁

Engineering gang 😎✌🏽

100% true

Thanks for sharing!

@@MatPicardal thanks for the interesting content 👍. Looking forward to the next video.

Depends on your client though

It is biggest mistake of your life.

Guess I'm not alone here

@@manboykid4029 lol

Just keep going you started already

From my experience in the US, that’s usually a more profitable job. But you have to always be in the field and handle a lot of different personalities.

I do both CM and design work almost exclusively from the office, and yes, you can Imagine what kind of problems that can cause. The point being that it will depend on what kind of firm you are working for, but you WILL be dealing with a lot of different personalities in CM, so you gotta be an effective communicator and you have to know when to say "no". However, to answer your question - yes, it does generally pay more than design work, but I imagine because it is not nearly as enjoyable to do as design work unless you specifically like construction more than design for some reason.

Stress is a literal killer. There have been many times I've had to reevaluate what I'm doing and whether to keep going so you're not alone there. For me, developing project management skills and getting my PMP certification helped give me some perspective. But everyone will have to find their own solution.

Its true mate, you really not alone. Today my daughter told me she wants to be engineer and show this video. Also her told me "dad why are u collecting poop?" 😂 welcome to miserable life.

Sorry

$70k+ , a lot less than engineers in tech!

Was studying for my SE exams but finished! Naw, most engineering professions complain that we don’t get paid enough or as much as real estate, bankers, lawyers, etc. it’s true, but those professions typically have better communication skills than us (like client relationships, running a business, making sales, marketing) and most engineers don’t want to develop those soft skills that really make money. We’d rather do a calc than take a public speaking or leadership class, or go out and talk to strangers. So we go on forums and complain amongst ourselves haha

Me too Luigie.... Me too...

It is. Going to site all day and sweating is much worse and pay is shit

Of all the civil fields, structures is best I think. Roadway, rail, and site civil seems boring. Traffic engineering doesn't seem to have a payoff once the project is complete. At least we get to point at a bridge or building and say we designed it. Any desire to do soils engineering is incomprehensible to me. Water resources or environmental could be fun if they weren't so rife with politics. Drainage seems boring because you're even more distant from driving a project than structures. CM could be fun because you get to be out and about all day seeing the work get done, but you're mostly overseeing somebody else's project, so like traffic design there doesn't seem to be a tangible source of pride as a reward if that kind of thing matters to you. It does to me.

@@Ak-qn9qc pay is definitely not shit

@@sevaghanneyan2150 it is tough. Site engineer works so much and for what? All that hard work on the site for nothing. Unless you a project manager , you won't make much. To become a project manager you need like 15-20 years of experience

Same

Rethink it. It's way harder once you leave school, cause then you have to go back to school.

A little bit too late for this.

Switch your major before it is too late.

Same😂🤡 I swear this video made me rethink my whole life. Maybe I should try KZfaq now

🤣🤣 poor Indian🤡

I should have seen this before

in every country...

I disagree it really depends on the location , and the position of the company your applying to on whether you really need those extra years in school.

Dont' become a civil engineer. Go into tech.

if you don't like CAD, then find out if you like GIS. If you don't like CAD or GIS, then go do something else before it's too late. You could also go into construction management if you want to do civil engineering related stuff without having to use CAD.

I'm working in this sector too! It is like You're the last one who received load data but the first one who should submit drawings.

Lol we all know it's the structural guys fault when the piping elevation doesn't match the structural drawings

I think his opinion about the caste where he was talking about developers and brokers taking most of the money and having previledge to get contact with the owners/clients. I just sense theres is some personal issues on point.

I suggest you to avoid CE. Well I feed my family with it even my daughters told me to be CE and show me this channel. Do you really love fixing absolute silly design, tight budget and tight deadline, working under damn amounts of anxiety and stress, calculating in split second, handle various problems on site? If u wake up and said I love concrete and column then it's for u. Thanks god I'm not married concrete. Sometimes I don't have time for my family. Lucky for me she still call me dad instead of "stranger". Sorry to broke your heart

@@cheml1533 Agree, I know so many civil/structural engineers and none of them have complained so far like him. I guess it's part of his youtube act lol

@@notoxicgaming3930 honest opinion, if you are a civil/structural engineer, you need to improve your writing/grammar skills (this applies to me too). Communication is KEY in this career, especially when you become management position. The guy in the video does say something important tho, NOT all companies are like that. If you are not seeing your family because of being an engineer then you either need to manage your time better or switch jobs. Just don't discourage anyone from becoming an engineer, because if you want to be someone in life or make money, you will always be faced with deadlines.

I made a videos on why I love engineering (Pros) and this one is the Cons video. I knew both the pros and cons of the industry while interning and it was definitely worth it because I knew what I was going into and what type of firm I wanted to work for and I’m having a very fulfilling career that I don’t plan on quitting any time soon. Some students don’t know both the pros and cons. They should. If they can accept both the pros and cons, they’re more likely to have a fulfilling career.

Freelance work - you don't find work, you don't eat, you get desperate. Engineers typically don't get any business and marketing training, so their best "marketing strategy" to win work, especially when they are desperate, is to lower their fees to ridiculously low levels at times. Low fees means the worker engineers get paid very little as well. Then the industry as a whole complains that we're paid very little. So, we're doing that to ourselves. Freelance is high risk, high reward. Company is low risk, low reward.

How do you do freelance?? PLEASE FUCKIN ANSWER!!!

Sorry to hear, I love it and it’s fulfilling but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea and important people know what they’re getting into. Finding out what you value in a career can help, if it’s prestige, maybe software engineering? That and data science seem to be “hip” careers. But do research on those careers as well, they each have pros and cons.

Dude I am in the exact situation as you! I would like to gain experience as a structural engineer but the salary/work hours/stress is not worth that path. Construction Management has so much more to offer.

@@mfafat3037 Thanks for the reply bro. Nice to know i'm not the only one in the situation.

In my country we work 48 hours a week. Just imagine how tiring working as a civil engineer is.

Cost-efficiency correlation for different design codes (ACI, Eurocodes, Australia standards etc). However this is going to be a very challenging thesis

maybe focus on 1 material only eg: concrete?

True, ours is invaluable work that needs to be done. If all SEs raised their prices to the same amount(not sure on the legality of that) people would still pay because our work is so important. But, your neighbor SE will do it for less, and the other guy will do it for even less. Hence, here we are

@@MatPicardal I just came across this Great topic and was recently talking to the new and past SEAOSC presidents about this. We engineers need to unite through our professional organizations and protect our profession. I recently turned down a client who wanted to reduce our fees. He said he'll find another SE who will do it for peanuts, so I told him good luck We have a saying, "cheap, fast or good -pick 2".