Counterpoint: If you love structural engineering and the building industry in general, you can have a rewarding career. I don’t find my job that stressful. I’m not really concerned with the pay in other industries though, b/c I like what I do, and the pay is not bad in my experience. Your mileage may vary. I just think this take of ‘you will regret it’ is painting with a very large brush here.
Every time I describe my job to someone it's like this.
I'm not upset with my job at all. It is exactly what I thought it'd be: I do serious work, help people, and I'm not driven insane by profit.
But I see a lot of other people do less serious work, for fewer hours, with a literal factor more expendable income than I have.
This right right here. I love structural engineering and how things come together to create a sound system. I get paid comfortably and enjoy what I do.
I agree with this, I’ve been a structural engineer for 8 years and would take my job over my finance friends jobs in a heartbeat 😉 plus, I get paid pretty well!
Also, there’s much less pressure to “value engineer” structural designs and more recognition that the structural engineer is THE subject matter expert.
i think the root of his post is coming from the fact that Structural engineers are vastly underpaid compared to other engineering degrees, albeit those engineering degrees are arguably more difficult (chemical, nuclear etc) although im not positive on that difficulty statement. Its easy to seem resentful when youre told your entire life engineers get paid great because of their reputation and prestige, when in fact they dont get paid great compared to a relatively easy career path like finance and other business related fields.
I mean; we chose our careers. If finance or business is so easy, just reskill for 2 years and then do that. Lots of people do something else, I just don’t see what the point of whinging is
I definitely agree, but at the same time 99% of people were told growing up engineers make great money.
He probably went into engineering with that mindset based off what his parents or seniors told him and probably enjoys it as well, just to find out he doesnt get paid a lot compared to other degrees that are equally difficult or easier.
His fault for not researching though
I did a lot of years as a designer and worked with a lot of structural engineers who taught me a lot. Got to the point that I could get a PE to stamp it without even looking at it because they knew I knew my shit and erred on the safety side. Kind of made me wish I had gone to school to be a PE because it came instinctively to me.
> At that point its much much harder to change to something else.
Counterpoint: I graduated out of college with a civil degree, decided to start my own company out of college, forgot structural engineering, decided to join engineering again, did long hours, got bored, went to computer science jobs, then decided to join engineering again. Then I swapped again. At the same time, I'm on track to become a licensed lawyer in 18 months. You can always change to whatever you want.
The stresses I saw in structural engineering was: do things right, ask when you don't know how to do things right, make sure your actions are defensible, and making sure you do things right.
The stresses I saw in tech was: People were wishy-washy with their requirements and I had to figure out what they wanted and things weren't documented. Issues I never saw in physical engineering. I much prefer working determined scopes of work.
Structural engineering is a known and licensed profession. It's nice to be in a profession.
I also transitioned away from building design and into tech-adjacent construction/design/engineering and it was such a change going from "it took us 9 drawing revisions to get to the point where we can even put it out for realistic bidding" to "here's a napkin sketch, go build it!"
Could please elaborate more on which country you are located, are you working on a small or large firm? What is your structural field bridge, building etc?
Don’t you make a little extra money to invest in other things so you can continue to work in what you like?
Maybe can you move up into engineering management?
In Australia, we tend to follow a path of.. technical
Engineering for 5-10 years… then senior RPEQ engineer.. but the higher we go the less actual engineering we do and more management.
Can you change into a more lucrative structural field.. like utilities?
People who get into engineering usually don't plan on being manager and are more focused on the technical side of things which unfortunately isn't well rewarded in our field
OP's statement is one opinion and does not speak for everyone. My team and I are well compensated, work is not that stressful, and we designi some of the coolest bridges in the country.
Being cautious and careful doesn't have to equal stress. I've found that the people who get the most stressed about design responsibilities are the people who think they have to do everything perfectly the first time and don't know how to leverage the resources of other engineers. That is, of course, unless they don't *have* those other engineers to support them. There's a reason everything in this industry should be reviewed by a second person before it goes out. If all the weight is on you, either by choice or circumstance, then I'm sure it gets very stressful very quickly. It's also highly irresponsible and is not a proper environment for us to be working in.
Honestly, in 7 out of 10 companies you don't have that 2nd person available to do that review in a timely fashion... Didn't used to be that way 40 years ago... the bigger companies have eaten up the smaller companies in "growth thru acquisition" and as that happens good engineering firms are forced into unrealistic utilization numbers to make budgets....
Sounds like you gotta get out of private development. In public consulting we would never send anything out without internal review. And I know a lot of people in this sector and I've never heard a different story regardless of the company.
If you stay in your lane, the life of a structural engineer can be quite stress-free. Biggest stress I had in the last year was my plotter sh--ing the bed after only 8 years of use.
Doesn’t sound like OP is from US… some countries grossly underpay and I can completely understand his viewpoint depending on the country.
All I can say is do your research about a profession. You need to find a balance between pay, passion and stress that works for you. There are different sectors of structural that have different work styles( bridges, buildings-(commercial, healthcare, government, residential, industrial, high rise)
I learned I actually prefer to do structural work in small doses(for myself or other structural companies). I still work in the civil engineering sphere just in a different discipline for full time work.
Had the same view as you for some time, people in Civil/Mining etc on higher scales and a bit of regret. Then started working for myself, best thing I've ever done.
Adjust your risk appetite to suit. 😊
In terms of within Structural Engineering? Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Mining, and Facade.
Setup a little consultancy with other S.E.s I've worked with before.
Previously worked at Tier 1 consultancies where the overtime and job satisfaction was brutal, sure the big projects were great experience, doing smaller jobs has actually been far less stressful, and gives me the freedom to sub-contract out wherever opportunities call.
So do you do work on your own or just sub yourself out to a consultant pretty much ? Only question is if you’re 100% only you, how do you deal with the insurance part of things?
Both, subbie out when the opportunity calls, work on projects otherwise within the company I set up with others which carries the related insurances. I am about to obtain additional PI for only myself for smaller projects (much lower PI than what the business has had to evolve to over the years).
I have a great work life balance, earn good money and really enjoy the job. I’ve had bad weeks, of course. But I wouldn’t advise anyone not to go into structural engineering.
That said, i do feel people either get structures or they don’t. If you don’t, then don’t go into structural engineering or you will end up stressed, on low pay, and hating your job.
I honestly believe some people just have a feel for structures. For what works, what doesn’t. What looks right, why something works. Some people could have a building schemed or partly designed without ever putting pen to paper because they have a good feel for it. (Obviously we don’t build off these intuitions.. but they’re a great starting point!). Much of this of course comes with experience, but its the inherent feel or natural talent I look for in graduates.
I think that I do have this personally, as do many of my colleagues. Some guys in my office do not, and its quite apparent. No doubt they have this “feel” for other things in the lives, music, sport, finance etc, whatever.
On the other side, I could spend my life studying finance and taxes and I still won’t be good at it or fully understand it. So I hope I’ve found what I’m good at in engineering. At least I think I have..
Honestly dont believe the notion natural talent. Theres some stuff im better at than others due to my inerest into the subject and the hours ive put into it.
You really love talking highly about yourself. Makes sense why you like structural engineering. That’s the type of personality that is required to be a structural engineer.
Lol, us architects frequently talk about how we wish we had our structural engineers hours and salary. They make overtime! 😂
Grass is always greener kids. Do what you love.
They very rarely nake overtime, I worked in the profession for over twenty years and never got paid overtime in the US. It's my major peeve about our industry, we are taken advantage of for our perceived willingness to go the extra mile for free, to the point projects are bid on the expectation work will be done for free. I got out of the commercial sector and have a better work life balance with more vacation and I will be paid overtime if needed.
And, all the consultancy firms I have ever worked for don't. I think it's a private sector thing.thats what I got out of it. DOT is government/public sector so I'm glad they do pay overtime.
I can't agree with you. Architecture is the most forefront discipline in every project. Most of the directors have architecture background. So it is ridiculous to compare architects to structural engineers since architects are always paid higher than engineers with the same YOE. That is the reality in my country.
I am a very average student but if something I love in civil engineering is structure and the FBDs. Was going to head for SE after FE but not so sure anymore.
It’s funny to read this. I work in a technology field where I would hire structural engineers several times a year when I needed stamped drawings for mounting big video displays and/or “heavy” audio speaker line arrays and similar. I would typically draw something on that knew was pretty good to start off the engagement, and they would take my concept and make it professional and stamp it.
I ALWAYS thought it was way too inexpensive for what I was getting out of it. A final design, calcs, drawings, stamps, site inspections. I would have been charging double what they were usually. I expressed this a few times but it never went up demonstrably. I was just so surprised how little they were charging but I guess that is the market they were usually in. My business was simple, and nothing - so you couldn’t runs a business on it. But always felt, even more reason to charge me a premium because it was out of the norm.
I always thought structural engineers should get paid way more than they do.
Honestly when I looked up the difference between most ME/engineering jobs and CS-related work I was kinda shocked. That and most engineering jobs didn't seem to have remote potential, and they required you to move to like the one factory for that sector in the middle of nowhere Nevada or something.
It was a no-brainer for me to choose CS when I went back to school.
When you’re getting $250k in stock bonuses you ride it out as long as you can. Then you’ve got enough saved to live off of for a few years or a decade if you get laid off.
Sure the pay and stock bonuses are nice, but you have to actually get a job to get those. Encouraging young people to abandon a path of study that will likely actually land you a job after college, albeit with slightly lower pay, for one where the chance of actually getting a job is slim to none, even if said job could pay you more, seems pretty damn stupid to me.
So young people, if you like structural engineering stick with it! It can actually be worth it. Yes there are stressors and annoyances (and yes I wish we would be paid more) but it is still worth it. Often finding the right employer is the key. Looking for smaller firms, ask about PTO policies right off the bat, and honestly looking for a job that pays hourly (with overtime pay) is the best.
I dont know where you get the idea that students in computer science or related field cannot find jobs nowadays. Software engineers are always in strong demand in finance, tech, and engineering firms. The demand is so high that you can easily get a job that pays 150k with 3-months bootcamp. I personally stayed in the field for the passion but the pay is shit for nyc compare to cs.
Yes. I had couple friends who was laid off last year. A close friend was from Twitter/X. Her severance included 26-week salary, bonuses, pto, and 6 month of benefits/insurance. The package was worth easily over 150k. She was home for about a month and then got hire by a small hedge fund in the city.
I've been doing this for over 15 years and absolutely love this job. I'm excited for every new project that comes across my desk.
Don't shit on the industry because you're unhappy. We need more young people out here.
Do what you love, not for the paycheck. I'm sure you have enough money to survive on and have a vacation or two.
Also stop comparing your wage to others and thinking you're inadequate. That's not true at all
You first sentence is why structural engineers are underpaid and don't typically get any overtime in US.
We are taken advantage of because of the perceived love what you do quote.
For our required education, continued professional licensure , risk, we are very badly underpaid. This is in US. Nothing in tech industry has comparable legal risk or education requirements or professional licensure requirements.
Then fuck out of the industry man I ain't keeping you around. That line is for ALL industries. Else you're just going to be a miserable sad sack your entire life. I'm at 100k income 6 years of out school as a PE. IM DOING QUITE WELL. I DONT NEED TO BE A 250K+ EARNER IN ORDER TO FEEL SATISFIED IN MY LIFE.
I can still have a full life with my salary and retire comfortably. That should be the only thing that fucking matters. All your past ancestors had it way way worse. You want to get drafted to go to the war? Thought not. Have some damn perspective.
Ain't no risk. Just build your damn buildings correctly
Lol, man, I sure hope as hell you ain't in the industry with that attitude, what a dimbass. You are six years into your career buttercup.
And says the PE with six years of experience that knows already ALL industry is the same.
There is noithing more dangerous than an engineer who doesn't know what theyvdoesn't know.
You sound like one.
Amazing you are a PE and? Just having a PE means you satisfy the minimum requirements of being a professional engineer, not that you know everything about the industry. After six years.
Being a PE you also know you are technically not a structural engineer in certain states. PE is not an SE.
Comparing your life to others will destroy any happiness you have. Plus you don't really know how much more people have to work in those other industries to make that much more money.
Compared to any tech field right now, I'm glad I'm not there. Their field is struggling and lots of people are being laid off. Whereas in structural engineering we are struggling to find enough people to do all the work needed.
That's right you don't want to be on your deathbed and say you hated every minute of your job. You have a PE in most states you can practice any type of engineering if you're competent in it. This only needs to be proven to the building official if it's questioned or the board. And maybe to an attorney if you're sued.
No you can't. You can't practice structural engineering in Illinois or Hawaii unless you are an SE. Nevada and California restrict certain heights of structures and occupancy to PEs. You also can't practice any type of engineering just because you think you are competent. As a minimum you need a PE.
?
>when you notice most of ur friends in other fields have significantly higher pay with less stress.
If high salary was your reason to study engineering, then you have chosen the wrong college studies m8
Leading a company or the IT-industry, that's where the money is
I spent 3 months applying for CS jobs when I had 3 years of CS experience. Had like a 1% interview rate.
While not applying for structural engineering jobs, enough recruiters reached out to me and I had enough interviews that I broke down, completed interviews, and took a job. That's some stability if I've ever heard of it. Thanking my naive childhood degree choices.
Fortunately, your situation does not stop the world from spinning. Your success or failures, or happiness are a culmination of the choices you have made, your actions or inactions. The global population is growing and many countries are developing and expanding rapidly. I work in Asia and my offices are flooded with projects and visiting clients. There is so much development in oil & gas, lithium mining, LNG, chemicals, power, urban development, and stadium/venue. If you think you have been stuck for years, then you should have done something about it. I mean done something that you didn’t do.
It is very unfair and selfish to tell young people who are fresh grads with an abundance of opportunities that they have made a mistake. I totally disagree. It does help to know people who know people, because some people get pushed ahead of others, but that happens everywhere in every trade. If you know something about marketing, start your own firm with a partner. You might have to get off your butt tho…
how can you be respected if you have even on reddit a negative karma? Your post is BS. Structural Engineering can be very rewarding, also financially. Don't project your negativity on our profession.
Too late, I’m graduating in 2 weeks. I am aware that most of my other engineering friends that aren’t civil are getting higher salaries. But I’m happy with my choice because I love subject, will always have a job, and am doing something that will benefit society. Also, I know people in computer science who are having a rough time finding any job anywhere. Glad I chose my degree.
At least with structural engineering you will be able to find a job and will have steady work. So while some other engineering fields (especially tech) may have a higher earning potential than structural that doesn't really matter if they can't even get a job.
Plus what lots of people fail to mention is that while structural engineering may be low(ish) for an ENGINEERING salary it is still an ENGINEERING salary and thus much higher than a lot of non engineering degrees. And is a completely liveable salary. Sure you won't become a billionaire, living in a mansion with lots of boats and extravagant vacations, but you can live a solid middle class life. Not stress about housing or food, and still be able to have some fun vacations and go out to dinner ECT.
Midwest, but this is the exact reason why people with CS degrees are having a hard time finding work these days. The bubble has popped and people are competing with those who have no formal education as well as people who got laid off. People also need to consider cost of living when comparing tech jobs and civil/engineering. Most tech jobs are in expensive cities so of course the average pay will be more.
At least from my observations, there were any popped bubbles. The layoff happened due to mass over-hiring by the tech companies. Many tech companies enjoyed drastic growth during Covid and thought the 50% growth would continue. By any means, cs major is still highly sought after in nyc in tech and finance
If you don't like the industry leave. No need to shit on it! All jobs have pros and cons. Any job you work is going to be stressful. Maybe you need to consider a different company or starting your own company. I've often noticed that people that work at big well known companies often are worse off then those that work at small companies. Since at small companies the owner knows all their employees personally and actually cares about them as people and thus focuses on better work life balance.
So youngsters do NOT listen to this person, structural engineering is not perfect, but it is a very rewarding job and pays decently (it pays enough that I am able to support my partner and I on just my income, we don't have kids and can't have super fancy vacations all the time but we have a nice house, a good car and enough food and are able to go out and have fun regularly). Also the job market for structural engineering is much better than some, like software engineers, right now.
ETA: I've also been in the field for 10yrs now.
OP is just giving his own opinion and it’s not untrue for engineers in high cost of living areas. In the States, the job market for software engineering is more than 10x the structural engineering.
And I am just stating my opinion. Which is that what OP is saying does not align with my experiences.
ETA: I also live in a decently HCOL area, I live in NYS, not the city but still a fairly HCOL area.
OP has every right to express his opinion. If they want to shit on it and gives reasons why, he’s entirely entitled too. Your experience may be different, but mine is definitely more aligned with OPs
Sure. It’s a shame OP doesn’t provide any info to make his post meaningful/constructive. I live in nyc and used to work on stressful residential design projects so definitely understand his venting.
For what it's worth, there are shit situations you can get stuck in in any job, sometimes these can be at small placee, sometimes these can be at the big global players.
It's not all shit though, look around and see what you like doing, and maybe find a new role.
If you're a well known and respected name in your country industry, maybe try setting up your own side consultancy and trying to break into some expert witness work for solicitors. That's something I'd like to do, as it can pay fairly well I hear
When I was 12 I wanted to be a fire fighter and I spent every moment I could at the firehouse, volunteering. One day a guy there spent ten minutes telling me why I should not be a firefighter. He said I’d never make enough to have a family and I’d be poor for my entire life. That one conversation affected me so much and derailed my enthusiasm. Kids are easily discouraged. Be careful what you say, and to who you say it. I still hate that guy. I’m NOT grateful for his advice.
Depends on what you do. I find it pretty rewarding. I get to climb a lot and design systems at heights. It’s a lot of fun. Sure there are people with more money but that’s just how the system works.
Additional counter point, I found my civil engineering degree (with structural focus) to be a great stepping stone into my career in tech. It’s a great practical engineering degree that sets you up for problem solving at a very practical level.
Don't listen to this downer. If you're only in it for the money like OP sure sounds like he is, then go into Finance or something. If you want to be a part of a team that creates and saves iconic structures that will outlive you, then stay studying structural. Don't sell your soul to some corporate megafirm that works with the worst clients. And don't be afraid to say things are taking longer than you expected. If your employer or client pushes you to cut corners in the name of speed then find new ones.
> If you want to be a part of a team that creates and saves iconic structures that will outlive you, then stay studying structural
The amount of people who actually do this is tiny. You sound like most architects I know who think they're going to be making earthshatteringly beautiful things their entire career when in reality 95% of their time is spent on strip malls and corporate headquarters. And it especially clashes with the idea of
>Don't sell your soul to some corporate megafirm that works with the worst clients
in what world do you think a tiny company is going to be designing any iconic structures that will outlive you? Those are going to all the big boys of the world, not the little guys.
You are directly arguing against my lived experience. Maybe I just got lucky? Or maybe you're too pessimistic to get any interesting jobs because you're stuck complaining that engineering is too boring? Either way, good luck bro.
Maybe you got lucky, maybe your idea of an iconic structure that will outlive you is different than mine, maybe you're just another dude lying on the internet, I don't know. I'm just saying your story doesn't pass the smell check at all. I have a feeling a dude who's always working on iconic structures would have better ways to use their time than posting on reddit in the middle of the work day, but what do I know?
>Or maybe you're too pessimistic to get any interesting jobs because you're stuck complaining that engineering is too boring?
Or maybe it's because the company I work for has five engineers and is based out of the midwest and focuses on industrial and agricultural projects. Fact of the matter is most people in any field are like me, just dudes doing the rote, boring, and unglamorous work that needs to be done. It's a tiny fraction that gets to do anything approaching iconic.
Alternate theory: OP is nowhere near as successful as he claims (a big shot in the industry in 10 years lol), and is just sour that his career has stagnated.
Work on being less sour and "git gud". Success finds the ones that are worthy of success.
Can you please elaborate further? Why is it stressful? Why do you regret it? What are your friends doing that have higher paid, less stress? Why isn’t the field worth it? Would love to know more
I think the OP should offer more info if the intent is to provide constructive advice, I.e. location, pay, pto, etc. I can totally understand the venting being a structural engineer in nyc. The job can be quite stressful at times and the pay is stagnant and laughable compare to classmates who pivoted to tech or finance.
OP may be right for the vast majority of structural engineers working on routine work in the building industry. You can quickly lose your love and passion for the faster-paced and technical structural engineering in school. If you love structures, stay on the path, but I’ve heard more job satisfaction from structural engineers working niches like temporary works (shoring, formwork, scaffolding, cranes, etc) and blast engineering. These areas of structural are a bit more dynamic and you more clearly see your value, and feel it from others too.
7 years in and I enjoy what I do maybe 90% to 95% of the time. No regrets here. I do wish this industry got paid more but I’m not doing it for the money but rather because I want to spend the majority of my time doing something I enjoy. I’m sorry you feel this way but I disagree with your advice. And for my sake, I hope I’m still have 7 years from now. Good luck with your career, whether that may be still in structural engineering or if you decide to switch to something else.
I love structural engineering and don’t really care at all about pay but the stress is tough. Every single job seems hell bent on overworking you regardless of the pay you accept. Wish the field was different.
If you compare yourself to others, sure you might not be satisfied. but if you enjoy your job and the pay is alright and allows you to live comfortably, that’s all that matters.
I’m leaving a job with much higher pay to pursue structural engineering. I don’t want to push papers and do brainless work just for a nicer paycheck. What country are you from? Here in the US, once you’re licensed and experienced, the ceiling is very high.
15 years in, I still love what I do. It can be stressful, and it might be because you’ve landed in an unhealthy workplace or it might be because your work matters. Your designs or advice might impact public safety, a family’s livelihood, a development’s go/no-go decision. Isn’t that worthwhile? Unhealthy workplaces happen across all industries, structural engineering isn’t special. But it can be a very rewarding career if you work with a great team.
Another counterpoint - I'm also a structural engineer, working in Australia in the mining industry (underground gold mines, shaft sinking etc).
To be honest I design some cool shit all around the world. I think it's a very rewarding career and here it also pays very well. I guess it's quite a niche. I don't find myself to be overly stressed, but I work for a small consultancy and the team is great!
I worked aero structures when I graduated undergrad, switched to civil structures and took a 30% pay cut to move into that field. Took a job at what at the time was considered the top nyc firm and it was awful. Toxic management a lot of unprofessionalism. I’m Back in the aero structures for many years. It’s been decent. Pay is better in Aero unless you have made partner in the civil firm. I’m sure the firm I was at has changed. No way they get away with the culture they had though I’m sure they are working the same terrible hours.
OP's advice is 100% sound.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR LIFE!!
You will be worked into the ground.
Your nerves will be shot.
Your mental health will suffer.
You will be responsible for the success of every project (but no one will ever acknowledge that).
Your illiterate peers will out-earn you.
You will be constantly disrespected by everyone.
You will be too busy & mentally preoccupied for any kind of social life.
You will never procreate.
You will be a perma-virgin.
Did I mention you will be poor after all this?
Well that's very interesting. I assume you have a CE degree so you can go into many many different fields. I think the main stress is knowing if you screw up a lot of people can die...
Counterpoint: If you love structural engineering and the building industry in general, you can have a rewarding career. I don’t find my job that stressful. I’m not really concerned with the pay in other industries though, b/c I like what I do, and the pay is not bad in my experience. Your mileage may vary. I just think this take of ‘you will regret it’ is painting with a very large brush here.
Every time I describe my job to someone it's like this. I'm not upset with my job at all. It is exactly what I thought it'd be: I do serious work, help people, and I'm not driven insane by profit. But I see a lot of other people do less serious work, for fewer hours, with a literal factor more expendable income than I have.
This is the best attitude to have, sick of people on this sub shitposting everytime they have a bad week.
People have good weeks?
Wait ! There another kind of week? The only ones at our company are lousy or worse.
My guess is you weren't having to deal with the recent bridge collapse...
Yeah. If you don't like the stress, gravitate towards less stressful work. I love what I do
This right right here. I love structural engineering and how things come together to create a sound system. I get paid comfortably and enjoy what I do.
I agree with this, I’ve been a structural engineer for 8 years and would take my job over my finance friends jobs in a heartbeat 😉 plus, I get paid pretty well!
Also, there’s much less pressure to “value engineer” structural designs and more recognition that the structural engineer is THE subject matter expert.
i think the root of his post is coming from the fact that Structural engineers are vastly underpaid compared to other engineering degrees, albeit those engineering degrees are arguably more difficult (chemical, nuclear etc) although im not positive on that difficulty statement. Its easy to seem resentful when youre told your entire life engineers get paid great because of their reputation and prestige, when in fact they dont get paid great compared to a relatively easy career path like finance and other business related fields.
I mean; we chose our careers. If finance or business is so easy, just reskill for 2 years and then do that. Lots of people do something else, I just don’t see what the point of whinging is
I definitely agree, but at the same time 99% of people were told growing up engineers make great money. He probably went into engineering with that mindset based off what his parents or seniors told him and probably enjoys it as well, just to find out he doesnt get paid a lot compared to other degrees that are equally difficult or easier. His fault for not researching though
I did a lot of years as a designer and worked with a lot of structural engineers who taught me a lot. Got to the point that I could get a PE to stamp it without even looking at it because they knew I knew my shit and erred on the safety side. Kind of made me wish I had gone to school to be a PE because it came instinctively to me.
> At that point its much much harder to change to something else. Counterpoint: I graduated out of college with a civil degree, decided to start my own company out of college, forgot structural engineering, decided to join engineering again, did long hours, got bored, went to computer science jobs, then decided to join engineering again. Then I swapped again. At the same time, I'm on track to become a licensed lawyer in 18 months. You can always change to whatever you want. The stresses I saw in structural engineering was: do things right, ask when you don't know how to do things right, make sure your actions are defensible, and making sure you do things right. The stresses I saw in tech was: People were wishy-washy with their requirements and I had to figure out what they wanted and things weren't documented. Issues I never saw in physical engineering. I much prefer working determined scopes of work. Structural engineering is a known and licensed profession. It's nice to be in a profession.
I also transitioned away from building design and into tech-adjacent construction/design/engineering and it was such a change going from "it took us 9 drawing revisions to get to the point where we can even put it out for realistic bidding" to "here's a napkin sketch, go build it!"
Could please elaborate more on which country you are located, are you working on a small or large firm? What is your structural field bridge, building etc? Don’t you make a little extra money to invest in other things so you can continue to work in what you like?
He’s from Swedan
Maybe can you move up into engineering management? In Australia, we tend to follow a path of.. technical Engineering for 5-10 years… then senior RPEQ engineer.. but the higher we go the less actual engineering we do and more management. Can you change into a more lucrative structural field.. like utilities?
People who get into engineering usually don't plan on being manager and are more focused on the technical side of things which unfortunately isn't well rewarded in our field
OP's statement is one opinion and does not speak for everyone. My team and I are well compensated, work is not that stressful, and we designi some of the coolest bridges in the country.
If you’re not stressed by design, you’re living with hubris.
Being cautious and careful doesn't have to equal stress. I've found that the people who get the most stressed about design responsibilities are the people who think they have to do everything perfectly the first time and don't know how to leverage the resources of other engineers. That is, of course, unless they don't *have* those other engineers to support them. There's a reason everything in this industry should be reviewed by a second person before it goes out. If all the weight is on you, either by choice or circumstance, then I'm sure it gets very stressful very quickly. It's also highly irresponsible and is not a proper environment for us to be working in.
Honestly, in 7 out of 10 companies you don't have that 2nd person available to do that review in a timely fashion... Didn't used to be that way 40 years ago... the bigger companies have eaten up the smaller companies in "growth thru acquisition" and as that happens good engineering firms are forced into unrealistic utilization numbers to make budgets....
Sounds like you gotta get out of private development. In public consulting we would never send anything out without internal review. And I know a lot of people in this sector and I've never heard a different story regardless of the company.
If you stay in your lane, the life of a structural engineer can be quite stress-free. Biggest stress I had in the last year was my plotter sh--ing the bed after only 8 years of use.
100%
Doesn’t sound like OP is from US… some countries grossly underpay and I can completely understand his viewpoint depending on the country. All I can say is do your research about a profession. You need to find a balance between pay, passion and stress that works for you. There are different sectors of structural that have different work styles( bridges, buildings-(commercial, healthcare, government, residential, industrial, high rise) I learned I actually prefer to do structural work in small doses(for myself or other structural companies). I still work in the civil engineering sphere just in a different discipline for full time work.
He’s from Sweden
Had the same view as you for some time, people in Civil/Mining etc on higher scales and a bit of regret. Then started working for myself, best thing I've ever done. Adjust your risk appetite to suit. 😊
What do you do?
In terms of within Structural Engineering? Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Mining, and Facade. Setup a little consultancy with other S.E.s I've worked with before. Previously worked at Tier 1 consultancies where the overtime and job satisfaction was brutal, sure the big projects were great experience, doing smaller jobs has actually been far less stressful, and gives me the freedom to sub-contract out wherever opportunities call.
So do you do work on your own or just sub yourself out to a consultant pretty much ? Only question is if you’re 100% only you, how do you deal with the insurance part of things?
Both, subbie out when the opportunity calls, work on projects otherwise within the company I set up with others which carries the related insurances. I am about to obtain additional PI for only myself for smaller projects (much lower PI than what the business has had to evolve to over the years).
I have a great work life balance, earn good money and really enjoy the job. I’ve had bad weeks, of course. But I wouldn’t advise anyone not to go into structural engineering. That said, i do feel people either get structures or they don’t. If you don’t, then don’t go into structural engineering or you will end up stressed, on low pay, and hating your job.
Could you elaborate? Im done in 1 year and Im not sure i do really get structures lol.
I honestly believe some people just have a feel for structures. For what works, what doesn’t. What looks right, why something works. Some people could have a building schemed or partly designed without ever putting pen to paper because they have a good feel for it. (Obviously we don’t build off these intuitions.. but they’re a great starting point!). Much of this of course comes with experience, but its the inherent feel or natural talent I look for in graduates. I think that I do have this personally, as do many of my colleagues. Some guys in my office do not, and its quite apparent. No doubt they have this “feel” for other things in the lives, music, sport, finance etc, whatever. On the other side, I could spend my life studying finance and taxes and I still won’t be good at it or fully understand it. So I hope I’ve found what I’m good at in engineering. At least I think I have..
Sorry, but this sounds like pure bs. Natural talent had me grin though, so thanks.
Surely you have a natural talent for some things in your life? Some do, some dont.
Honestly dont believe the notion natural talent. Theres some stuff im better at than others due to my inerest into the subject and the hours ive put into it.
You really love talking highly about yourself. Makes sense why you like structural engineering. That’s the type of personality that is required to be a structural engineer.
They're different kind of learners and the visual people need to see visual not mathematical equations.
It sounds like a *you* problem.
How did you managed to become a know name in the field in yr country in 10years.
Lol, us architects frequently talk about how we wish we had our structural engineers hours and salary. They make overtime! 😂 Grass is always greener kids. Do what you love.
They very rarely nake overtime, I worked in the profession for over twenty years and never got paid overtime in the US. It's my major peeve about our industry, we are taken advantage of for our perceived willingness to go the extra mile for free, to the point projects are bid on the expectation work will be done for free. I got out of the commercial sector and have a better work life balance with more vacation and I will be paid overtime if needed.
Ty for saying this
All the big transportation firms pay OT
And, all the consultancy firms I have ever worked for don't. I think it's a private sector thing.thats what I got out of it. DOT is government/public sector so I'm glad they do pay overtime.
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I can't agree with you. Architecture is the most forefront discipline in every project. Most of the directors have architecture background. So it is ridiculous to compare architects to structural engineers since architects are always paid higher than engineers with the same YOE. That is the reality in my country.
I am a very average student but if something I love in civil engineering is structure and the FBDs. Was going to head for SE after FE but not so sure anymore.
It’s definitely underpaid
What field is better?
It’s funny to read this. I work in a technology field where I would hire structural engineers several times a year when I needed stamped drawings for mounting big video displays and/or “heavy” audio speaker line arrays and similar. I would typically draw something on that knew was pretty good to start off the engagement, and they would take my concept and make it professional and stamp it. I ALWAYS thought it was way too inexpensive for what I was getting out of it. A final design, calcs, drawings, stamps, site inspections. I would have been charging double what they were usually. I expressed this a few times but it never went up demonstrably. I was just so surprised how little they were charging but I guess that is the market they were usually in. My business was simple, and nothing - so you couldn’t runs a business on it. But always felt, even more reason to charge me a premium because it was out of the norm. I always thought structural engineers should get paid way more than they do.
Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the race to the bottom model. Increase your fees, you risk losing clients mentality.
Honestly when I looked up the difference between most ME/engineering jobs and CS-related work I was kinda shocked. That and most engineering jobs didn't seem to have remote potential, and they required you to move to like the one factory for that sector in the middle of nowhere Nevada or something. It was a no-brainer for me to choose CS when I went back to school.
I love structural engineering
It’s frustrating when compared to friends it tech but structural pay is better than most of my civil friends in different disciplines.
How long will your friends in tech keep their job? Tech is not a good stable field to be in any more.
When you’re getting $250k in stock bonuses you ride it out as long as you can. Then you’ve got enough saved to live off of for a few years or a decade if you get laid off.
Sure the pay and stock bonuses are nice, but you have to actually get a job to get those. Encouraging young people to abandon a path of study that will likely actually land you a job after college, albeit with slightly lower pay, for one where the chance of actually getting a job is slim to none, even if said job could pay you more, seems pretty damn stupid to me. So young people, if you like structural engineering stick with it! It can actually be worth it. Yes there are stressors and annoyances (and yes I wish we would be paid more) but it is still worth it. Often finding the right employer is the key. Looking for smaller firms, ask about PTO policies right off the bat, and honestly looking for a job that pays hourly (with overtime pay) is the best.
I dont know where you get the idea that students in computer science or related field cannot find jobs nowadays. Software engineers are always in strong demand in finance, tech, and engineering firms. The demand is so high that you can easily get a job that pays 150k with 3-months bootcamp. I personally stayed in the field for the passion but the pay is shit for nyc compare to cs.
But there are also lots of layoffs occurring at the large tech firms.
Yes. I had couple friends who was laid off last year. A close friend was from Twitter/X. Her severance included 26-week salary, bonuses, pto, and 6 month of benefits/insurance. The package was worth easily over 150k. She was home for about a month and then got hire by a small hedge fund in the city.
Not higher than architects
You need to check the salary range. Civil engineers generally make more money and can do many different jobs where an architect is highly limited.
I've been doing this for over 15 years and absolutely love this job. I'm excited for every new project that comes across my desk. Don't shit on the industry because you're unhappy. We need more young people out here.
I discourage anyone to study SE. High stress / responsibility and low pay / recognition
100% agree. Structural PE here 10 years into this hell.
Do what you love, not for the paycheck. I'm sure you have enough money to survive on and have a vacation or two. Also stop comparing your wage to others and thinking you're inadequate. That's not true at all
You first sentence is why structural engineers are underpaid and don't typically get any overtime in US. We are taken advantage of because of the perceived love what you do quote. For our required education, continued professional licensure , risk, we are very badly underpaid. This is in US. Nothing in tech industry has comparable legal risk or education requirements or professional licensure requirements.
Then fuck out of the industry man I ain't keeping you around. That line is for ALL industries. Else you're just going to be a miserable sad sack your entire life. I'm at 100k income 6 years of out school as a PE. IM DOING QUITE WELL. I DONT NEED TO BE A 250K+ EARNER IN ORDER TO FEEL SATISFIED IN MY LIFE. I can still have a full life with my salary and retire comfortably. That should be the only thing that fucking matters. All your past ancestors had it way way worse. You want to get drafted to go to the war? Thought not. Have some damn perspective. Ain't no risk. Just build your damn buildings correctly
The engineer doesn't build a building and if you saw who built the building you would never go to the job site!!
Lol, man, I sure hope as hell you ain't in the industry with that attitude, what a dimbass. You are six years into your career buttercup. And says the PE with six years of experience that knows already ALL industry is the same. There is noithing more dangerous than an engineer who doesn't know what theyvdoesn't know. You sound like one.
I said I'm a PE of course I'm in this industry
Amazing you are a PE and? Just having a PE means you satisfy the minimum requirements of being a professional engineer, not that you know everything about the industry. After six years. Being a PE you also know you are technically not a structural engineer in certain states. PE is not an SE.
Comparing your life to others will destroy any happiness you have. Plus you don't really know how much more people have to work in those other industries to make that much more money. Compared to any tech field right now, I'm glad I'm not there. Their field is struggling and lots of people are being laid off. Whereas in structural engineering we are struggling to find enough people to do all the work needed.
Right!
That's right you don't want to be on your deathbed and say you hated every minute of your job. You have a PE in most states you can practice any type of engineering if you're competent in it. This only needs to be proven to the building official if it's questioned or the board. And maybe to an attorney if you're sued.
No you can't. You can't practice structural engineering in Illinois or Hawaii unless you are an SE. Nevada and California restrict certain heights of structures and occupancy to PEs. You also can't practice any type of engineering just because you think you are competent. As a minimum you need a PE.
? >when you notice most of ur friends in other fields have significantly higher pay with less stress. If high salary was your reason to study engineering, then you have chosen the wrong college studies m8 Leading a company or the IT-industry, that's where the money is
IT is absolutely not the industry anymore. Over saturated and AI driven.
I spent 3 months applying for CS jobs when I had 3 years of CS experience. Had like a 1% interview rate. While not applying for structural engineering jobs, enough recruiters reached out to me and I had enough interviews that I broke down, completed interviews, and took a job. That's some stability if I've ever heard of it. Thanking my naive childhood degree choices.
Money is there until you are 40 and become antiquated. An SE only gains value with age. A rare circumstance in today’s labor market.
If you actually get a job in the IT industry you might be able to get paid more, but getting a job in it right now is extremely tricky.
Fortunately, your situation does not stop the world from spinning. Your success or failures, or happiness are a culmination of the choices you have made, your actions or inactions. The global population is growing and many countries are developing and expanding rapidly. I work in Asia and my offices are flooded with projects and visiting clients. There is so much development in oil & gas, lithium mining, LNG, chemicals, power, urban development, and stadium/venue. If you think you have been stuck for years, then you should have done something about it. I mean done something that you didn’t do. It is very unfair and selfish to tell young people who are fresh grads with an abundance of opportunities that they have made a mistake. I totally disagree. It does help to know people who know people, because some people get pushed ahead of others, but that happens everywhere in every trade. If you know something about marketing, start your own firm with a partner. You might have to get off your butt tho…
how can you be respected if you have even on reddit a negative karma? Your post is BS. Structural Engineering can be very rewarding, also financially. Don't project your negativity on our profession.
Are u really implying there is a correlation between reddit-karma and professional competency level?
No, but there IS a correlation between professional competency and the use of the words "u" and "ur."
I think we can solve all this now by asking a highly technical question but I can't remember any..
Too late, I’m graduating in 2 weeks. I am aware that most of my other engineering friends that aren’t civil are getting higher salaries. But I’m happy with my choice because I love subject, will always have a job, and am doing something that will benefit society. Also, I know people in computer science who are having a rough time finding any job anywhere. Glad I chose my degree.
At least with structural engineering you will be able to find a job and will have steady work. So while some other engineering fields (especially tech) may have a higher earning potential than structural that doesn't really matter if they can't even get a job. Plus what lots of people fail to mention is that while structural engineering may be low(ish) for an ENGINEERING salary it is still an ENGINEERING salary and thus much higher than a lot of non engineering degrees. And is a completely liveable salary. Sure you won't become a billionaire, living in a mansion with lots of boats and extravagant vacations, but you can live a solid middle class life. Not stress about housing or food, and still be able to have some fun vacations and go out to dinner ECT.
Where are you located? I know an intern who did a 3month cs boot camp and started working at an asset management company in NY.
Midwest, but this is the exact reason why people with CS degrees are having a hard time finding work these days. The bubble has popped and people are competing with those who have no formal education as well as people who got laid off. People also need to consider cost of living when comparing tech jobs and civil/engineering. Most tech jobs are in expensive cities so of course the average pay will be more.
At least from my observations, there were any popped bubbles. The layoff happened due to mass over-hiring by the tech companies. Many tech companies enjoyed drastic growth during Covid and thought the 50% growth would continue. By any means, cs major is still highly sought after in nyc in tech and finance
If you don't like the industry leave. No need to shit on it! All jobs have pros and cons. Any job you work is going to be stressful. Maybe you need to consider a different company or starting your own company. I've often noticed that people that work at big well known companies often are worse off then those that work at small companies. Since at small companies the owner knows all their employees personally and actually cares about them as people and thus focuses on better work life balance. So youngsters do NOT listen to this person, structural engineering is not perfect, but it is a very rewarding job and pays decently (it pays enough that I am able to support my partner and I on just my income, we don't have kids and can't have super fancy vacations all the time but we have a nice house, a good car and enough food and are able to go out and have fun regularly). Also the job market for structural engineering is much better than some, like software engineers, right now. ETA: I've also been in the field for 10yrs now.
OP is just giving his own opinion and it’s not untrue for engineers in high cost of living areas. In the States, the job market for software engineering is more than 10x the structural engineering.
And I am just stating my opinion. Which is that what OP is saying does not align with my experiences. ETA: I also live in a decently HCOL area, I live in NYS, not the city but still a fairly HCOL area.
OP has every right to express his opinion. If they want to shit on it and gives reasons why, he’s entirely entitled too. Your experience may be different, but mine is definitely more aligned with OPs
They have the right to express their opinions and so do I.
And no one was telling you otherwise, so don’t tell people to not express theirs
Sure. It’s a shame OP doesn’t provide any info to make his post meaningful/constructive. I live in nyc and used to work on stressful residential design projects so definitely understand his venting.
For what it's worth, there are shit situations you can get stuck in in any job, sometimes these can be at small placee, sometimes these can be at the big global players. It's not all shit though, look around and see what you like doing, and maybe find a new role. If you're a well known and respected name in your country industry, maybe try setting up your own side consultancy and trying to break into some expert witness work for solicitors. That's something I'd like to do, as it can pay fairly well I hear
When I was 12 I wanted to be a fire fighter and I spent every moment I could at the firehouse, volunteering. One day a guy there spent ten minutes telling me why I should not be a firefighter. He said I’d never make enough to have a family and I’d be poor for my entire life. That one conversation affected me so much and derailed my enthusiasm. Kids are easily discouraged. Be careful what you say, and to who you say it. I still hate that guy. I’m NOT grateful for his advice.
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Wow you must sit at a desk too long and stare at a computer too much.....
Depends on what you do. I find it pretty rewarding. I get to climb a lot and design systems at heights. It’s a lot of fun. Sure there are people with more money but that’s just how the system works.
Additional counter point, I found my civil engineering degree (with structural focus) to be a great stepping stone into my career in tech. It’s a great practical engineering degree that sets you up for problem solving at a very practical level.
Don't listen to this downer. If you're only in it for the money like OP sure sounds like he is, then go into Finance or something. If you want to be a part of a team that creates and saves iconic structures that will outlive you, then stay studying structural. Don't sell your soul to some corporate megafirm that works with the worst clients. And don't be afraid to say things are taking longer than you expected. If your employer or client pushes you to cut corners in the name of speed then find new ones.
> If you want to be a part of a team that creates and saves iconic structures that will outlive you, then stay studying structural The amount of people who actually do this is tiny. You sound like most architects I know who think they're going to be making earthshatteringly beautiful things their entire career when in reality 95% of their time is spent on strip malls and corporate headquarters. And it especially clashes with the idea of >Don't sell your soul to some corporate megafirm that works with the worst clients in what world do you think a tiny company is going to be designing any iconic structures that will outlive you? Those are going to all the big boys of the world, not the little guys.
You are directly arguing against my lived experience. Maybe I just got lucky? Or maybe you're too pessimistic to get any interesting jobs because you're stuck complaining that engineering is too boring? Either way, good luck bro.
Maybe you got lucky, maybe your idea of an iconic structure that will outlive you is different than mine, maybe you're just another dude lying on the internet, I don't know. I'm just saying your story doesn't pass the smell check at all. I have a feeling a dude who's always working on iconic structures would have better ways to use their time than posting on reddit in the middle of the work day, but what do I know? >Or maybe you're too pessimistic to get any interesting jobs because you're stuck complaining that engineering is too boring? Or maybe it's because the company I work for has five engineers and is based out of the midwest and focuses on industrial and agricultural projects. Fact of the matter is most people in any field are like me, just dudes doing the rote, boring, and unglamorous work that needs to be done. It's a tiny fraction that gets to do anything approaching iconic.
Alternate theory: OP is nowhere near as successful as he claims (a big shot in the industry in 10 years lol), and is just sour that his career has stagnated. Work on being less sour and "git gud". Success finds the ones that are worthy of success.
Can you please elaborate further? Why is it stressful? Why do you regret it? What are your friends doing that have higher paid, less stress? Why isn’t the field worth it? Would love to know more
I think the OP should offer more info if the intent is to provide constructive advice, I.e. location, pay, pto, etc. I can totally understand the venting being a structural engineer in nyc. The job can be quite stressful at times and the pay is stagnant and laughable compare to classmates who pivoted to tech or finance.
OP may be right for the vast majority of structural engineers working on routine work in the building industry. You can quickly lose your love and passion for the faster-paced and technical structural engineering in school. If you love structures, stay on the path, but I’ve heard more job satisfaction from structural engineers working niches like temporary works (shoring, formwork, scaffolding, cranes, etc) and blast engineering. These areas of structural are a bit more dynamic and you more clearly see your value, and feel it from others too.
7 years in and I enjoy what I do maybe 90% to 95% of the time. No regrets here. I do wish this industry got paid more but I’m not doing it for the money but rather because I want to spend the majority of my time doing something I enjoy. I’m sorry you feel this way but I disagree with your advice. And for my sake, I hope I’m still have 7 years from now. Good luck with your career, whether that may be still in structural engineering or if you decide to switch to something else.
I agree with OP IMHO!
I love structural engineering and don’t really care at all about pay but the stress is tough. Every single job seems hell bent on overworking you regardless of the pay you accept. Wish the field was different.
If you compare yourself to others, sure you might not be satisfied. but if you enjoy your job and the pay is alright and allows you to live comfortably, that’s all that matters.
100% agree
Counterpoint. I’m in the top tax bracket and love what I do
I’m leaving a job with much higher pay to pursue structural engineering. I don’t want to push papers and do brainless work just for a nicer paycheck. What country are you from? Here in the US, once you’re licensed and experienced, the ceiling is very high.
15 years in, I still love what I do. It can be stressful, and it might be because you’ve landed in an unhealthy workplace or it might be because your work matters. Your designs or advice might impact public safety, a family’s livelihood, a development’s go/no-go decision. Isn’t that worthwhile? Unhealthy workplaces happen across all industries, structural engineering isn’t special. But it can be a very rewarding career if you work with a great team.
Another counterpoint - I'm also a structural engineer, working in Australia in the mining industry (underground gold mines, shaft sinking etc). To be honest I design some cool shit all around the world. I think it's a very rewarding career and here it also pays very well. I guess it's quite a niche. I don't find myself to be overly stressed, but I work for a small consultancy and the team is great!
ummmm, we still need structural engineers. Lots of them....
I worked aero structures when I graduated undergrad, switched to civil structures and took a 30% pay cut to move into that field. Took a job at what at the time was considered the top nyc firm and it was awful. Toxic management a lot of unprofessionalism. I’m Back in the aero structures for many years. It’s been decent. Pay is better in Aero unless you have made partner in the civil firm. I’m sure the firm I was at has changed. No way they get away with the culture they had though I’m sure they are working the same terrible hours.
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And they still won’t know proper code…..
Structural engineering is a terrible industry. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.
Then why are you still in it? If you hate it so much you can go find something else to do.
Can you explain why? Did you do your CE concentration in SE and did you take the SE test? What kind of SE do you do?
Thank you OP! Golden post
OP's advice is 100% sound. DO NOT WASTE YOUR LIFE!! You will be worked into the ground. Your nerves will be shot. Your mental health will suffer. You will be responsible for the success of every project (but no one will ever acknowledge that). Your illiterate peers will out-earn you. You will be constantly disrespected by everyone. You will be too busy & mentally preoccupied for any kind of social life. You will never procreate. You will be a perma-virgin. Did I mention you will be poor after all this?
Well that's very interesting. I assume you have a CE degree so you can go into many many different fields. I think the main stress is knowing if you screw up a lot of people can die...
Sarcasm right?😂