Civil Engineering vs. Urban Planning Civil engineers and urban and regional planners both work in fields related to the planning and construction of buildings, roads and other facilities. While civil engineers focus on the projects themselves, urban and regional planners emphasize how the projects will fit in the local planning climate. Consequently, civil engineers and urban and regional planners often interact, cooperating on projects. The Work Civil engineers design and oversee construction projects of all kinds. Civil engineers typically have different specialties, such as transportation engineering, structural engineering and geotechnical engineering, so that they can focus on that one aspect of a project. Urban and regional planners focus is trained on the overarching plans for the use of the land and buildings in a defined area, such as a city or larger metropolitan area. Planners create these plans, and they also serve in positions to manage them, providing oversight to help ensure that the plans are followed. Industry Employers Since civil engineers and urban and regional planners work in similar fields, they are employed in some of the same industries. In particular, they both work for governmental entities. However, urban and regional planners work in public positions much more frequently than civil engineers. In fact, the largest employers of urban and regional planners in the United States are local governments, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they employ 64 percent of all urban and regional planners. Civil engineers, meanwhile, are most frequently employed by architectural, engineering and related services in private industry. Education and Training Most civil engineers have a bachelors degree with a major that focuses on their field of expertise. Masters degrees are not as common, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which notes that only 20 percent of civil engineers have a graduate degree. Urban and regional planners are more likely to have masters degrees. In contrast with planners, civil engineers typically can step into their field straight out of college. Planners, meanwhile, typically must first gain years of related experience, working in areas such as architecture or public administration to learn the components that enter into comprehensive plans before they develop and manage plans. Salary Civil engineers enjoy higher pay than urban and regional planners, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of May of 2011, civil engineers received an annual mean wage of $82,710, while urban and regional planners averaged $67,350. People in both fields received the highest salaries in the federal branch of the government among the various industries that employ them most frequently. Civil engineers earned an annual mean wage of $86,950 in federal jobs, while urban and regional planners earned $89,500 in federal posts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics listed architectural and engineering managers, a category of careers that includes civil engineers in management posts, as one of the 20 highest paying occupations in the United States in 2010.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 17:18:44 +0000
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