Geotechnical engineers work with soil and other environmental factors.
Engineering is a very old and varied profession, whose practitioners use their specialized knowledge to plan projects that are both safe and cost effective. Geotechnical engineers are a subset of civil engineers who focus on materials in and below the earth's surface -- mainly soil and minerals -- to understand how they will affect a given project. Geotechnical engineers are well paid for their knowledge, even as entry level workers.
Job Description
Geotechnical engineers are a class of civil engineers who specialize in understanding how ground materials, from soil to rocks, and the earth's stability will affect a given project. Because civil engineers are those who design large buildings and infrastructure, like roads, reservoirs and power plants, geotechnical expertise is critical to a project's success: Engineers need to know that the ground they are building on is stable and safe.
Entry Level Pay
Engineers in general earn some of the highest starting salaries in the professional world, given their specialized expertise. Geotechnical engineers earned an average of $52,048 at their first jobs in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Yet, it's important to remember that while geotechnical engineers can expect to earn a healthy salary even at the entry level, practically all of these professionals have earned at least a bachelor's degree.
Average Salaries
As geotechnical engineers gain more experience, they can expect to earn higher pay. The average civil engineer earned more than $82,000, according to the BLS. Civil engineers in California, the highest paying state for the profession, earned an average of just under $95,000. The top ten percent of professionals with the most experience brought home almost $120,000.
Other Engineering Specialties
The majority of geotechnical engineers are civil engineers who work on large scale projects, often for the government. However, other engineering specialties that are closely tied to the earth may also employ some geotechnical engineers -- given their need to understand the properties of the land -- the most common industries include agriculture, mining and petroleum engineering. Geotechnical engineers who want to earn the highest starting salaries should consider one of these specialties, as petroleum engineers earned an average entry-level salary of $83,121 in 2009, the highest of all engineers. Mining engineers came in third on the list, with starting salaries of $64,404 and agricultural engineers earned an average of $54,352 at their first jobs.
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