The civil engineering industry in Vancouver and BC is growing rapidly and is in need of civil engineering professionals ready to enter the workforce into entry-level positions. These entry-level positions tend to lead to supervisory and management roles after 5 – 7 years of experience have been obtained. An analysis of the civil engineering industry reveals a province where civil engineering technicians and technologists are in high demand, as valuable future developments of infrastructure are projected in Vancouver and across B.C.
Wages:
Entry-level wages in the civil infrastructure design industry are some of the highest entry-level wages among any industry in Vancouver. Students who graduate from Brighton College’s Civil Infrastructure Design diploma program can expect to receive entry-level hourly wages starting from an average of $22 per hour*. Wage rates in civil infrastructure and engineering positions generally increase incrementally every year with larger gains coming at the 5 and 10-year experience marks.
According to WorkBC and the 2021 Job Bank Wage Report, the annual provincial median salary for civil engineering technologists and technicians is $70,910.
Outlook:
Across B.C. there are new developments, rapid expansions, and citywide improvement projects happening and initiating every day. The province is growing and in an effort to support this growth, it is projected that the civil infrastructure industry will find itself short of professional and qualified employees. Civil engineering graduates will be in high demand to fill these roles. In the next 5 – 10 years, job opportunities in this sector are expected to trend steadily upwards. There are 1,140 expected job opening between 2022-2031.
Job Titles:
If you’re looking for careers in Civil Infrastructure Design, you’ll most likely come across these roles in your hunt:
- Construction site coordinator
- Civil engineering technician
- Civil draftsman
- Construction project estimator
- Surveyor or assistant surveyor
- Construction plan checker
- Civil engineer
- & more
Skills Required:
The civil engineering field is highly technical and requires recognized industry certification that provides graduates entering employment with a foundation of skills covering drafting, construction, estimation, and engineering. Problem-solving, prioritization, and efficient and accurate task management are also very valuable qualities to possess if you’re looking for a career in civil engineering.
*Stats from WorkBC
