Civil Engineering Vs Mechanical Engineering: Salary, Jobs, Requirements

People most times, talk about the various branches of engineering, and interestingly, the most spoken of is the civil engineering vs mechanical engineering. You may want to know more about its Job Outlooks, requirements, certification, top schools offering it, and the salary attached to it.

Just like it is argued which one is the best; the truth is that both civil engineering and mechanical engineering have their own functionalities and specialties which complement each other.

Simply put, both of them work on different projects of an engineering job. As most persons will assert, “Mechanical engineers build weapons and civil engineers build targets!”

While that is not an apt description of what each of these engineers does, it gives a relative idea that there are indeed differences between civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

This writing will throw more light on the similarities, differences, job tasks, and salaries of civil engineering and mechanical engineering.

Civil Engineering vs Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering and civil engineering are the two oldest and most frequently used areas of engineering. Civil engineering is primarily about the construction, planning, and maintenance of buildings, infrastructures, and buildings.

Mechanical engineering, on the other hand, is in the simplest terms the technical current that deals with the mechanics of automobiles and other machines.

Both areas of engineering are evergreen and offer students excellent career prospects. These fields are used in all areas of life and in all parts of the world. Vacancies are available in both the private and public sectors or from government organizations.

Desire to become a Civil Engineer? Click the link to read on How can I become a Civil Engineer in 2020? Best Schools, Cost Programs & Salary

What is Civil Engineering

It is a specialized engineering branch that deals specifically with infrastructure. This includes the planning, construction and maintenance of the physical structures including roads, bridges, buildings, dams and canals.

Civil engineering is the second oldest category of engineering and is often divided into several subcategories, including architecture, the environment, forensics, water resources, offshore and construction.

Civil engineering takes place in the public sector and is found in both municipalities and national governments. It can also be found in the private sector, where homeowners and large companies look for their expertise.

What do Civil Engineers do?

Civil engineers typically do the following:

Analyze long-term plans, survey reports, maps, and other data to plan and design projects
Consider construction costs, government regulations, potential environmental hazards, and other factors during the planning and risk analysis phase of a project
Creation and submission of approval applications to local, state and federal authorities to ensure that projects comply with different regulations
Monitoring and analysis of soil test results to determine the adequacy and strength of the foundations
Analyze the results of tests on building materials such as concrete, wood, asphalt or steel for specific projects
Make estimates for materials, equipment, or labor to determine the economic feasibility of a project
Use design software to plan and design transportation systems, hydraulic systems, and structures in accordance with industry and government standards
Perform or monitor survey work to determine building locations, site layouts, reference points, degrees, and heights that guide construction
Manage the repair, maintenance and exchange of public and private infrastructure

What are the professional requirements to become a civil engineer?

Aspiring civil engineers generally begin their college careers by enrolling in high school chemistry, physics, and math courses. In addition, students can take courses in engineering statistics to develop their computing skills.

A civil engineering career usually begins with a bachelor’s degree. It could be one of his specialties or civil engineering. Depending on the subject area, students are familiarized with courses such as mathematics, statistics, technical mechanics and systems, and fluid dynamics. The courses include a mix of traditional classroom learning, laboratory work, and fieldwork.

After completing their undergraduate studies, a civil engineering student may also need to obtain a master’s degree. While this is not mandatory, it is important.

It is necessary to complete a program accredited by ABET in order to obtain a PE license (Professional Engineer). In many countries, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering is sufficient as an academic prerequisite for obtaining a license.

What are the Job Outlooks for Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering employment is expected to increase by 6 percent over the next ten years, which is roughly the average for all occupations. With the increasing age of the infrastructure, civil engineers are required to manage projects for the reconstruction, repair, and expansion of bridges, roads, dams, dams, airports, buildings, and structures of all kinds.

What Are the Best Schools for Civil Engineering?

Here is a list of some of the schools that offer the best civil engineering programs. Do well to click on each of the schools for more information on the program.

What is Mechanical Engineering

It is also one of the oldest forms of technology, but it is also the broadest. Mechanical engineering uses the principles of physics and materials science together with engineering to analyze, design, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems.

It includes the production and use of mechanical energy for the design, production and operation of machines and tools. Core concepts such as kinematics, thermodynamics, structural analysis, mechanics, and electricity must be understood so that a mechanical engineer can work successfully in this area.

What do Mechanical Engineers do?

Mechanical engineers typically do the following:

Analyze problems to determine how mechanical and thermal devices can help solve a particular problem
Design or revise mechanical and thermal devices or subsystems using analysis and computer-aided design
Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose improper operation and recommend corrective actions
Develop and test prototypes of devices you design
Analyze the test results and change the design or system as needed
Monitor the manufacturing process for the device

What are the professional requirements for Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineers generally require a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or mechanical engineering. The core subjects usually include mathematics and life and physics sciences as well as engineering and design.

In addition, all courses must be ABET certified.

What are the Job outlooks for Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering employment is expected to increase by 4 percent over the next ten years, which is roughly the average for all occupations. The job prospects may be best for those who keep abreast of the latest technological advances.

What are the best Mechanical Engineering schools?

You can attend one of these best Mechanical Engineering schools and obtain a valid and well-respected certificate.

University of Oxford
University of Virginia
Imperial College of London
University of Cambridge
University of California–Berkeley
Georgia Institute of Technology
Stanford University
University of Texas–Austin
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

What are the Similarities between civil engineering and mechanical engineering?

Because civil engineers and mechanical engineers require the same level of training and earn comparable salaries, the main differences between these professionals lie in the focus of their work.

They rely on many of the same skills to develop design plans, prepare budgets, and monitor production or construction as needed. However, civil engineers focus on building structures and the need for municipal infrastructure, while mechanical engineers design mechanical products.

Civil engineering and mechanical engineering are popular sectors of the economy that attract many students to their careers. But it is really important to understand a professional before deciding on a career.

Who Earns More Between a Mechanical Engineer and a Civil Engineer?

According to the United States Department of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for mechanical engineers was $80,580 and for civil engineers $79,340.

The highest-paid industry for civil engineers was the repair and maintenance industry for commercial and industrial machinery and equipment that paid the highest annual average for $138,780.

The industry with the highest level of employment for mechanical and civil engineers is the architecture, engineering and related service industries. This industry paid mechanical engineers an average annual salary of $89,760 and civil engineers an average annual salary of $86,170.

General Certification and Requirements

Civil engineers work on building projects for structures such as roads, buildings and bridges. Mechanical engineers design, build and test mechanical devices.

At least a bachelor’s degree is required to work as a mechanical or civil engineer. Masters courses are also available for engineers. Engineers who offer their services to the public must be licensed in all states.

Professional licenses are more common for civil engineers. Engineers must complete an accredited study program, pass the “Fundamentals of Engineering” exam, gain experience in the field, and pass the “Professional Engineering” exam to obtain a license.

Civil Engineering Vs Mechanical Engineering – FAQs

More often than not, it is the matter of personal preferences. If you get overwhelmed by the structures and construction, civil engineering is the one for you. If you are intrigued by the machine designs, their mechanics and dynamics, go for mechanical engineering.

As for the question of whether or not a mechanical engineering graduate can be hired as a entry level civil engineer, or an ME with previous mechanical experience can switch to civil engineering, the answer is yes. … In this case the nexus was materials testing, a field common to both mechanical and geotechnical.

Mechanical engineers on average earn more than a civil engineer by $10 per year! However, the top 10% of civil engineers are paid more compared to the top 10% of mechanical engineers.

Conclusion

Looking at the nearest future, there may be a great need for both Civil and Mechanical Engineers as the need for infrastructural development increases. There will certainly be need for those who will design new machines and those who will put up physical structures.

That is why you need to know more about what it takes to pursue a career in Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.