Also called: Public Works Director, County Engineer
Top engineer for a city or county, in charge of roads, water, sewers and drainage.
You start at a city council meeting explaining why a road repair costs $3 million. Then you check on a water main break, approve plans for a new subdivision, and meet your team to plan which bridges get fixed first.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in civil engineering, PE license, and 10+ years of experience.
Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Civil Engineering, Public Administration.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years).
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps plan capital projects and review plans; leading staff, public meetings and accountability for city infrastructure stay human.
Classes: Government or civics, Physics, Algebra II, Speech or debate.
Official data: O*NET occupation 17-2051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.