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For someone unfamiliar with civil engineering, there might be too many positions that do not make sense. The following is the short answer to the difference between a site engineer and a civil engineer:
As the name suggests, a site engineer is an onsite civil engineer who manages and executes construction works such as constructing slabs, beams, or retaining walls by following construction drawings. A civil engineer is a broad engineering title for many careers. A site engineer is only one of the career paths in construction management, which is one of the civil engineering subfields.
You can refer to a site engineer as a civil engineer. But when someone is referred to as a civil engineer, they can be anything from the civil engineering career paths, such as structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, site engineer or project manager.
The above is the short answer to this question. If you want a more detailed answer, the long answer is below:
What Is A Site Engineer?
Site engineer is an onsite engineering position. Site engineers work closely with labours and supervisors to give them the necessary technical support, answer all their questions and help them avoid problems or issues during construction.
To become a site engineer, you must complete a degree in civil engineering. However, you can also become a site engineer with a mechanical, electrical and even chemical engineering degree. This is because the position requires a logical approach to problem-solving instead of an engineering-specific background. Yet a civil engineer is the most suitable engineer for this position.
Site engineers work closely with project engineers and project managers to complete the construction project.
What Is A Civil Engineer?
When you call someone a civil engineer, they can be any of the following:
- Structural Engineer
- Construction Engineer
- Project Engineer
- Site Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Hydraulic Engineer
- Wind Engineer
- Mining Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Architectural Engineer
- Transport Engineer
- Bridge Engineer
- Seismic Engineer
- Geological Engineer
- Surveying Engineer
- Material Engineer
- Marine Engineer
A Site engineer is only a career path in construction management which is one of the civil engineering subfields.
What Is Civil Engineering?
Civil engineering is one of the 5 major engineering fields. Civil engineering major includes everything that has to do with the construction of buildings, bridges, airports, highways, tunnels, railways, dams, mines, sewerage systems, renewable energy plants such as wind turbines, hydraulic power generation plants and wastewater treatment plants. Essentially everything physical you see around you has been designed and built by a civil engineer.
Civil engineering is the oldest known engineering major that deals with designing, building and maintaining physical structures.
The above is a quick summary of civil engineering. For more, the following are two of our best resources to teach you everything you need to know about civil engineering in 10 minutes or less:
Is Civil engineer And Site Engineer The Same?
You can call a site engineer a civil engineer because in order to become a site engineer, you must study civil engineering. However, when you refer to someone as a civil engineer, that does not mean they are a site engineer, as a civil engineer is a broad engineering title for many careers such as structural engineers, geotechnical engineers, project engineers and site engineers.
Is A Site Engineer An Engineer?
A site engineer is an engineer with a civil engineering degree. They have studied for 3-4 years to gain their civil engineering degree before working as site engineers. They manage on-site construction operations and work closely with other engineers and project managers.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Site Engineer?
It takes 3-5 years of study and experience before you can work as a site engineer. You can start working as a site engineer as soon as you finish your civil engineering degree. The degree normally takes 3- 4 years, and you might require 1 year of experience before you can work as a site engineer depending on the company and the project you are applying for.
What Is The Salary Of A Site Engineer?
On average, site engineers make around $88,000.
| Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Site Engineers | $62,000 | $88,000 | $120,000 |
Site Engineer Vs Construction Engineer: What Is The Difference?
As the name suggests, a site engineer is an onsite civil engineer who manages and executes construction works. A construction engineer is a general title for project engineers, site engineers, and field engineers who are involved in executing construction projects. However, in most cases, it refers to a site engineer as someone always present on site.
