Field engineers and project engineers plan, design, and develop projects for the construction or repair of buildings and a wide variety of other construction projects. They may also specialize in foundation analysis, building and structural inspection, surveying, geomatics, and municipal planning. They work closely with site superintendents and assist as required.
They are employed by engineering consulting companies, at all levels of government, by construction firms, and in many other industries, or they may be self-employed.
Project Field Engineers are in high demand.
With the ongoing construction labor shortage, construction firms need to evaluate their salaries to be sure they are competitive within their market. Offering competitive salaries will give your organization a better chance of attracting and retaining great construction talent.
Construction recruiters are looking for candidates who have the right set of skills to fill these roles. Here are some skills that are important to have:
- Communication skills – Since engineers deal with a variety of different people both on the job site and away from it, it’s essential for them to be able to translate highly technical information in layman’s terms.
- Creative thinking – Construction leaders will turn to their engineers to help solve problems that can come up in new projects, so engineers need to think outside of the box to find new solutions.
- Math – Advanced math is fundamental for the work of many engineering disciplines.
- Computer modeling – Running simulations of complex systems is crucial to most types of engineering.
Although they might spend some hours working from their offices, project field engineers are valuable to construction firms because most of their time is spent on the various job sites driving projects along. One remarkable advantage to choosing construction careers like this is the potential of being promoted to a Senior Project Field Engineer II or even eventually up to a Project Executive. These opportunities allow you more independence and responsibility.
Junior Project Field Engineer
| Region | 20th Percentile | 80th Percentile | Mean | Median |
| Midwest | $64.77 | $76.58 | $70.83 | $71.51 |
| Mid-Atlantic | $63.63 | $75.67 | $70.50 | $70.38 |
| Northeast | $66.00 | $77.69 | $73.09 | $72.19 |
| Northwest | $67.69 | $78.82 | $73.97 | $71.40 |
| Southeast | $64.77 | $75.22 | $70.38 | $68.93 |
| Southwest | $63.53 | $76.13 | $70.17 | $69.60 |
*salaries do not reflect bonuses
Junior Project Field Engineer is an entry level position that requires either a BS or a MS. Works as the assistant to the Cost Engineer, performing basic field and cost engineering.
Project Field Engineer I
| Region | 20th Percentile | 80th Percentile | Mean | Median |
| Midwest | $70.50 | $84.10 | $78.94 | $78.26 |
| Mid-Atlantic | $69.14 | $87.25 | $80.05 | $80.05 |
| Northeast | $72.75 | $90.39 | $84.10 | $81.97 |
| Northwest | $73.53 | $87.25 | $81.63 | $79.61 |
| Southeast | $70.83 | $83.65 | $77.81 | $77.69 |
| Southwest | $73.87 | $86.12 | $80.50 | $80.84 |
*salaries do not reflect bonuses
Project Field Engineer I typically requires 2 years’ experience as a Junior Project Field Engineer. Works as an assistant to Senior Cost Engineers, assisting in expediting material deliveries, estimating and processing change orders, preparing monthly pay re-quests and preparing shop drawings.
The construction salary data generated above is compiled from multiple industry and salary sources, coupled with real-time data compiled by The Birmingham Group. As one of the leading recruiters in the nation, construction executive search firm, The Birmingham Group, interviews over 300 construction professionals each week.
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This is an exciting time in the world of construction. With this rapid turnaround over the past few years, many construction general contractors are being forced to reevaluate their construction salaries to stay competitive. We have compiled data from 4600+ individual construction management interviews performed by our staff.
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