The engineering sector has always been a highly paid one with the position of engineering consultant one of the best-paid roles in the sector. Engineer Pedram Zohrevand explains there are many different kinds of engineering consultants who can provide their expertise across several different fields with the salary paid to be different depending on which area of expertise an engineering consultant has worked in. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the average salary of engineering consultants to earn a median salary of $144,830 in 2019.
What does an Engineering Consultant do?
A consulting engineer is a specialist role that is designed to ensure a specific task within a larger project is completed correctly. Many different disciplines are available for engineering consultants that include civil, structural, environmental, and nuclear engineers, according to the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland. Pedram Zohrevand explains the work of a consulting engineer includes working on a specific aspect of a larger project to make sure it is completed correctly.
Whether a construction company is working on a new building or upgrading existing structures they will often look to gain the assistance of a consulting engineer. A consulting engineer will usually take on a role in the planning stages of a project when they will work alongside an architect to make sure their design is of the highest quality. Among the areas of expertise that will be looked for by construction and architectural specialists are the skills of a consulting engineer to help with structural analysis when a specific role is required for a building.
Taking on a Role from Start to Finish
When you are working as a consulting engineer, you will often find there are roles you need to undertake throughout the process of designing to completing the construction of a project. Unlike many areas of interest for an engineer, a consulting engineer who takes on a role within a project, their assistance will usually be needed from start to finish. A consulting engineer will usually assist with planning, but they will be called upon to monitor the construction phase to ensure all the work is completed to the highest standards possible.
Environmental Consulting Engineers are Sought AFter
Many aspects of the engineering consultant sector are sought after with the highest payments usually given to those who are involved in specialist areas. If you are looking to take on an engineering role, you will be able to maintain a high level of employment when you take on a role as an environmental engineering consultant. In a survey completed by BLS, Chron reports there was around one-fifth of those surveyed working in the environmental engineering sector.
The Best Paid Engineering Consultants
There are many different disciplines within the sector for engineering consultants, including those who are at the higher end of the pay spectrum. The engineering consultants Pedram Zohrevand sees earning the highest salaries are those who have specialist skills within the most sought-after sectors. One of the top-paid areas of interest for engineering consultants includes petroleum engineers, who can earn upwards of $130,000 as of a 2019 survey. Other engineering consultants who can make a high salary include nuclear and chemical engineering consultants who earned an average of around $115,000 in 2019.
Lower Paid Engineering Consultants
The sector for engineering consultants can take on many different roles and projects with different pat scales seen for different disciplines. Even those engineering consultants who have decided to work in less specialized areas of the sector will earn a high salary each year. Materials engineers are not paid as highly as their counterparts in the nuclear and petroleum engineering sectors, but they do still earn a high salary of over $60,000 per year on average.
The high number of engineering technicians who take on consulting roles means there is a lot of competition for these roles leading to a lower average salary. In the majority of cases, the average salary for an engineering technician consultant will earn around $57,000 per year.
Making the Most of Your Experience
The general route towards success for the majority of engineering consultants is to take their academic career to success with a Bachelor’s degree followed by around five years of work experience. This work experience reaches its peak and the engineer can be seen as an expert in their field and take on a consulting role.