Engineering Technology Pathways Career Opportunity: Civil Engineering Technician (Office Position)
My Story
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-Taylor Fields
CAD/CAM
Description
Civil engineering technicians work as a member of a project design team. They perform skilled technical duties relating to engineering surveys as well as computer-aided drafting and design.
Working environment
In most cases, civil engineering technicians work in an office environment. However, they may sometimes work outdoors at construction or survey sites, and depending on the season, they may work in heat, cold, rain or snow. Because they work as part of a project design team, civil engineering technicians cannot work from home. Hours vary, but the work day generally starts between 7 and 8 a.m. and runs until 4 or 5 p.m. Flextime is a possibility, and both full-time and part-time positions are available. During the busy winter design season, overtime for civil engineering technicians is almost guaranteed. Depending on the survey/engineering firm a technician works for, travel is a definite possibility; the larger the firm, the more likely technicians will travel statewide.
Job duties
Civil engineering technicians perform sub-professional duties relating to designing and drafting a wide range of civil engineering projects.
Calculate grades for construction staking
Calculate grades from plans
Produce construction plans, topographic maps, earthwork calculations and assessment drawings
Research and interprets existing construction records
Write and interpret legal descriptions
Calculate bid quantities.
Prepare construction documentation
Research existing city, county and state records to determine property line and right-of-way locations
Communicate by phone, letter and in person with public-agency and private-company personnel
Wage range
Average starting hourly wage: $16.00
Median hourly wage: $18.00
Average annual income: $33,200
Employment outlook
Current employment: About statewide average
Employment growth: Somewhat faster than statewide average
Job opening projection: About statewide average
Links
American Public Works Association: Provides a forum for public works professionals to exchange ideas and increase the performance of their public agencies and private-sector companies.
Oregon State Board of Examiners: Regulates the practices of engineering and of land surveying in Oregon to protect public welfare and property.
Chemeketa Community College: Offers state-of-the-art technical training, with a two-year Associate of Applied Science degree and one-year Certificate of Completion programs.
Virtual Library for Civil Engineering: Provides a searchable database on civil engineering topics; links are of organized into commercial, educational, organizational, and journal groups.
American Society of Civil Engineers: Represents more than 140,000 members of the civil engineering profession worldwide with an emphasis on leadership, technology and lifelong learning.
Professional Land Surveys of Oregon: Promotes legislation, educational programs and standards of practice to improve the professional status of Oregon land surveyors.
