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Structural Engineer job description template

A Structural Engineer job description you can paste into LinkedIn, Indeed or your careers page today, plus official US pay data, ten interview questions and a practical skills test. Everything is free to read and copy on this page.

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Structural Engineer job description

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Structural Engineer

  • Location: [City, State] ([on site, hybrid or remote])
  • Employment type: [Full time]

About [Firm name]

[Two or three sentences about your firm: the kind of projects you design, where your team is based and how you work.]

About the role

The Structural Engineer designs and checks the structure of our [building types]: gravity and lateral systems, foundations and connections. You will run calculations and analysis models, prepare structural drawings, and coordinate with architects and MEP engineers from concept through construction.

What you will do

  • Design gravity and lateral systems in [steel, concrete, wood or masonry] for [building types].
  • Determine dead, live, snow, wind and seismic loads under ASCE 7 and the building code adopted where the project is built.
  • Build and check analysis models, and document calculations clearly enough for another engineer to review.
  • Design foundations from the geotechnical report, working with the geotechnical engineer.
  • Prepare structural plans, details and general notes, in Revit or together with a drafter.
  • Coordinate the structure with architectural and MEP layouts: openings, shafts, equipment loads and ceiling space.
  • Review shop drawings and submittals, answer RFIs and visit the site during construction.
  • Evaluate existing structures for renovations, additions and changes of use.
  • Review calculations and drawings from junior engineers and drafters.

What you bring

  • Bachelor's degree in civil or structural engineering [from an ABET accredited program; master's preferred].
  • [PE license in [State], or an engineer in training with a plan to take the PE exam.] [Add any structural license your state requires for the buildings you design.]
  • [4] or more years designing buildings.
  • Working knowledge of ASCE 7, the International Building Code and the material design standards your projects use.
  • Experience with analysis software such as RISA, ETABS, SAP2000 or RAM Structural System.
  • Ability to draw and review clear structural details.
  • Clear written calculations and clear communication with architects and contractors.

Nice to have

  • Seismic or high wind design experience.
  • Structural modeling in Revit.
  • Experience with [mass timber, light gauge steel or precast concrete].
  • Evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings.

Software

RISA, ETABS, SAP2000, RAM Structural System, Enercalc, Revit, AutoCAD, Microsoft Excel or Mathcad

Pay and benefits

[Pay range, for example $XX,000 to $XX,000 per year.] [Benefits: health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, continuing education.]

How to apply

Send your resume and a short list of buildings you designed, with the structural system, material and your role on each, to [email or application link].

[Firm name] is an equal opportunity employer.

US pay data

What a Structural Engineer earns in the US

Annual wages for Civil Engineers, United States, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.

BLS counts structural engineers inside Civil Engineers.

Annual wages by percentile for Civil Engineers, May 2025
PercentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$68,240
25th percentile$79,930
Median$100,840
75th percentile$129,680
90th percentile$163,220
Average (mean)$108,670

BLS counts 367,840 jobs in this category nationwide, and half of them pay between $79,930 and $129,680. Use the percentiles to set the range you post, nearer the 25th for a junior hire and nearer the 75th for someone who will lead, keeping in mind the note above on how closely this category matches the role. For medians by state, see the architect salary guide, and to see what a hire costs once benefits, recruiting and an empty desk are added, run the hiring cost calculator.

Interview

Structural Engineer interview questions

Ten questions in three groups. Under each one, what a strong answer covers, so anyone on your team can run the interview and compare candidates on the same terms.

Technical

  1. Walk me through the lateral system of a building you designed.

    What a strong answer covers: Explains the load path from diaphragm to foundation, why that system was chosen, and how wind and seismic loads compared.

  2. How do you check that an analysis model gives sensible results?

    What a strong answer covers: Runs hand checks of key members and reactions, reviews deflected shapes and totals against expected loads, and questions any result that looks too good.

  3. How do you design around a large new opening in an existing floor?

    What a strong answer covers: Investigates the existing structure first, designs the new framing and load path, and considers shoring and construction sequence.

  4. What do you look for in a geotechnical report before designing foundations?

    What a strong answer covers: Reads bearing capacity, settlement, groundwater, site class and the recommendations section, and asks the geotechnical engineer about anything unclear.

Workflow and coordination

  1. The architect wants to move a column late in design. What is your process?

    What a strong answer covers: Assesses the impact on framing, foundations and schedule, gives options with their costs, and documents the decision.

  2. How do you review steel shop drawings?

    What a strong answer covers: Checks member sizes, connections and details against the design, confirms that loads were used correctly, and marks deviations clearly.

  3. How do you coordinate structure with MEP systems?

    What a strong answer covers: Shares the model early, sets zones and penetration rules, and reviews clashes in regular coordination meetings.

Working with the team

  1. How do you explain a structural limit to an architect who wants an open space?

    What a strong answer covers: Shows the tradeoffs with simple sketches, proposes alternatives such as transfer beams or a different system, and respects the design intent.

  2. Tell me about a calculation error someone caught in your work.

    What a strong answer covers: Owns it, explains the fix, and describes the check they added afterward.

  3. How do you teach a junior engineer to set up a calculation package?

    What a strong answer covers: Shares templates and examples, reviews the first packages closely, and explains the reasoning behind each check.

Skills test

Structural Engineer skills test

Calculation and detailing check. A practical exercise to send after the first interview. Time limit: 3 hours.

The task

Send a framing plan for a small floor in the material your firm works in most (steel or wood), with loads and spans. Ask the candidate to size a typical beam, girder and column with hand or spreadsheet calculations, sketch one beam to column connection, and list what they would need from the architect and the geotechnical engineer to finish the design.

What to send the candidate

  • A framing plan with spans, the floor build up and the loads.
  • The code edition and material standards you want them to use.
  • A calculation template, if your firm uses one.

What to evaluate

  • A correct load path and load combinations.
  • Member sizes that are reasonable and checked for strength and deflection.
  • A connection sketch that can be fabricated and built.
  • Calculations another engineer could follow.
  • Relevant questions for the architect and the geotechnical engineer.

Tell the candidate how you will score it and hold to the time limit. The goal is to see how they work, not to get free production.

Another option

Hiring remote?

Remote option

Get a quote for a full time remote Structural Engineer

Tell us the role and the software, and we send you a rate for your firm.

Get a quote

WorldTeams presents vetted remote Structural Engineers who work in your time zone and join your team full time. You interview them and approve the person before they start. See how it works on Remote structural engineers, or compare the full yearly cost of each option in the hiring cost calculator.

Keep reading

Need a Structural Engineer sooner than a job post can deliver?

WorldTeams presents vetted remote Structural Engineers who work in your time zone. You interview them, you choose, and they join your team full time.

Questions, answered

What should a Structural Engineer job description include?

A good Structural Engineer job description says what the person will own day to day, which software and standards they must already know, the experience you need and how they will work with your team. This kit covers all four, ready to edit, plus interview questions and a practical skills test to check them. For how the role works on real projects, see our page on remote structural engineers.

Ask AI

What licenses does a structural engineer need?

The standard credential is a Professional Engineer (PE) license, earned after an accredited degree, the FE exam, several years of experience and the PE exam. Rules for structural work vary from state to state, and NCEES notes that not every state accepts its Structural exam the same way. Check with the board where your projects are before you write the requirement.

Ask AI

How much does a structural engineer earn in the US?

BLS counts structural engineers inside Civil Engineers, which earned a national median wage of $100,840 a year in May 2025. Half of civil engineers earned between $79,930 and $129,680, and the top tenth more than $163,220. The category also covers transportation and water work, so use it as a reference and check the full cost of a hire with our hiring cost calculator.

Ask AI

What analysis software should a structural engineer know?

It depends on your structures. For building frames, common tools include RISA, ETABS, SAP2000 and RAM Structural System, with Enercalc or spreadsheets for single members, and Revit or AutoCAD for drawings. More important than the brand: can the candidate check a model by hand, explain what the software assumes, and spot a result that does not make sense? Ask them to walk you through one.

Ask AI

Can a structural engineer work remotely?

Yes for analysis, calculations, modeling and drawings, which is most of the design work. Site observation and sealing are the limits: when the engineer is not licensed in your state, your firm's licensed engineer reviews the calculations and seals the drawings. WorldTeams places remote structural engineers who work in your time zone, and each candidate's license status is stated up front.

Ask AI