About

Ask yourself...

  • Are you highly experienced in one or more specialties within the construction industry?
  • Do you enjoy providing advice on structural or design issues to architects, engineers, construction owners and senior managers within construction companies?
  • Are you well organized?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then a career as an Engineering/Design Consultant could be right for you.

This occupation may include engineers who design and oversee road building and other heavy civil construction projects, or engineers and architects working in building construction.

Engineering/design consultants are employed by engineering consulting firms, architectural design firms and large general contractors, or they may be self-employed.

Special note: Consulting is a very broad field. Within the consulting field, most consultants have expertise in one or more specialty areas.

Duties

Engineering/design consultants (in a construction context) perform some or all of the following duties:

  • Review and offer opinions on engineering and design approaches
  • Resolve specific technical problems
  • Plan the reorganization of the operations of construction companies

Work Conditions

For engineering/design consultants, work conditions vary depending on specialty. Work could take place on a construction site, in an office or in a technical testing laboratory.

As with all careers in the construction industry, safety is the top priority. While on construction or other job sites, consultants must be aware of and comply with all relevant safety policy and procedures.

Training and Certification

The Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (CCPE) is a good source of information on courses and training providers for this occupation. Provincial affiliates of CCPE also award the Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) designation to engineers who meet their certification requirements. For more information, visit www.engineerscanada.ca.

A bachelor's degree or college diploma in engineering or architecture is usually required, and a graduate degree in business administration may be required.

Courses

Construction Industry Ethics
Construction Project Management
Pipeline Construction Safety Training
Working in a Respectful and Inclusive Workplace

Wage

Salary Gradient
Mid range
$57,720
Salary Range ArrowHigh range
$93,704
The wage range listed here is based on hourly rates multiplied by a 40-hour work week. Wages can vary depending on the contract, company, location and collective agreements (if applicable), as well as local and national economic conditions. Overtime is not included.

The “mid range” wage is based on the national “median” wage reported in the Job Bank career profile for this National Occupational Category (NOC): 2253

Note: Some career profiles may have more than one NOC code associated with them.

Wage data obtained from the Government of Canada’s Job Bank.