| Government jobs aside, many civE jobs have initial offers in the 50s. I assume that 10 years down the road, you would've gotten at least a few raises. A structural engineer IV in NYC (according to salary.com) would on average make well over $100k, so towards the latter years of your career, you won't be making $50k.
I can totally relate to the "see that kids your daddy built that" statement. Whenever I see that I've made a noticeable contribution to a project, I get this sense of pride and accomplishment. Best feeling in the world. |