STEM

Structural Engineer

Calculate how buildings and bridges hold up under weight, wind, and earthquakes so they do not fail

Open interactive guide

What does a Structural Engineer do?

Structural engineers work mostly in design firms, with visits to construction sites and older buildings. They pick beams, columns, and foundations, then check the math against building codes. People who are careful, patient, and curious about how forces move through a structure do well.

A day in the life

8:30 AMCheck a floor beam's load against the building code
10:00 AMModel a steel frame to see how it handles strong wind
11:30 AMTalk with the architect about moving a support column
1:30 PMInspect cracks in the concrete wall of an older building
3:00 PMReview the builder's drawings for the steel supplier
4:30 PMPrepare calculations for a licensed engineer to review

What's great

  • Your work keeps people safe
  • Buildings and bridges can outlast you
  • A clear specialty within engineering
  • Mix of design work and site visits

The hard parts

  • Small math errors can have big results
  • You need a license to sign final plans
  • Deadlines rise near construction dates
  • Detailed building codes take time to learn

What is a Structural Engineer's salary and outlook?

$54k – $135k
Salary Range
Bachelor's degree
Typical Education
Growing

Typical pay in this guide runs from about $54,000 to $135,000 a year, with a midpoint around $90,000. These are planning figures for students, not a job offer or an official wage.

CareerLens rates the outlook as Growing.

For the official national outlook, see BLS Occupational Data.

How do you become a Structural Engineer?

A common path is Bachelor's in civil or structural engineering, often plus a master's. The ladder often runs from Engineer in Training to Structural Engineer (PE), then Senior Structural Engineer, and Principal at an engineering firm. Other routes: Master's degree in structural engineering; Pass the FE exam, then the PE exam; Some states require a separate structural exam; Start as a drafter or design technician.

  • Master's degree in structural engineering
  • Pass the FE exam, then the PE exam
  • Some states require a separate structural exam
  • Start as a drafter or design technician

Career path

Entry level
Engineer in Training
Mid career
Structural Engineer (PE)
Senior
Senior Structural Engineer
Executive
Principal at an engineering firm

Will AI replace a Structural Engineer?

How much will AI change this job?

A lot

AI will change many everyday tasks in this job. The work shifts toward judgment, checking, and people.

AI reshapes structural engineering, but human judgment stays essential.

AI tools can now speed up calculations, drawings, and checking building codes. This means structural engineers spend less time on repetitive math and more time making key safety decisions. The job shifts toward reviewing AI's work and solving tricky, real-world building problems.

AI can help with

  • Running structural calculations and load tests quickly
  • Drafting building plans and blueprints faster
  • Checking designs against building codes automatically

What stays human

  • Deciding if a building design is truly safe
  • Solving unusual problems on tricky construction sites
  • Talking with clients, builders, and city inspectors

Skills to build now

  • Practice math, especially geometry and physics
  • Build models or structures with blocks or software
  • Join a robotics, engineering, or STEM club

Based on public research from Anthropic and OpenAI, drafted with AI, checked automatically, and read by a person. How we know

This describes how the work may change. It is not a prediction that the job will disappear.