Chicago Civil Engineering Jobs Overview
Civil engineering jobs touch everything we see and do. By lunchtime today, civil engineers made your life easier in several ways: They designed and managed the construction of the roads you drove to work and the office building you're sitting in. They made it easy for you to get clean drinking water for your coffee and devised an easy way to get across the river on your way home.
Civil engineers work on five areas of infrastructure that affect our lives: structures, water resources, transportation, construction, and geotechnics. Day-to-day, they create, build, supervise, operate, construct, and maintain projects in those areas. As structures and systems age, civil engineers conduct repairs and upgrades to keep life moving.
You can expand your search for engineering jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in Chicago, Illinois
If you're going to Chicago to experience "da Bears," deep-dish pizza, and windy streets, native Chicagoans say "fogetta 'bout it!" While these have made Chicago famous, you'll find many locals eating thin-crust, tavern-style pie. Plus, the city isn't on any list of the windiest cities in the U.S.—a local newspaper named it "The Windy City" after the Chicago elite's propensity toward boastfulness and self-promotion. And while the Chicago jobs list (hit jobs, that is) includes notorious mobsters from Chicago like Al Capone, John Dillinger, and Baby Face Nelson, linguists are noticing that the "Chicago accent" is disappearing.
However, there's a reason Condé Nast Traveler has named Chicago the "best big city in the U.S." Chicago is home to top universities, including Northwestern University, Wheaton College, and Valparaiso. And if you're looking for Chicago jobs, you can relocate to any one of the city's unique neighborhoods, such as North Center with its cozy Irish pubs and breweries or Uptown, the lively entertainment district. For those who want to live further out from the city, you can also find jobs in popular suburbs including Cicero, Oak Park, and Evanston.
Update Your Chicago Civil Engineering Resume
Your resume should be your first project when you apply for a job. Give it the same level of attention you would to a work project: Plan the structure first, leave no room for errors, give precise details, and showcase a clean design. You can get more advice on how to list your accomplishments and previous projects from our engineering resume tips. For some tips on how to write your cover letter, read the following samples:
How Much Do Civil Engineering Jobs Pay in Chicago, Illinois?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in civil engineering jobs in Chicago, Illinois, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median civil engineer pay in Chicago is $79,685 per year, which is 1% higher than the national average.
Find Your Next Chicago Civil Engineering Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in civil engineering? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those civil engineering jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Chicago, how to nail your job interview, and more.