Release of New Guidelines for Engineering Grades

The American Society of Civil Engineers announces the release of ASCE Guidelines for Engineering Grades: A Helpful Tool for Human Resource Professionals, Engineering Managers, and Engineers. These guidelines were created to help engineers and their employers recognize an engineer’s level of professional development and career advancement. The guidelines outline the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities associated with engineers at each grade using a matrix format. The Committee on Employment of Civil Engineers (CECE), a constituent committee of the Committee on Professional Practice (CPP), is pleased to present the new guidelines to the professional community. CECE worked diligently to upgrade the matrix with input from several sources, including: the National Society of Professional Engineers, CH2M HILL, the Federal Highway Administration, the Nevada Department of Transportation, and the Nevada State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors.

In Guide to Employment Conditions for Civil Engineers (ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 55), Section 2 contained the previous matrix, which had not been updated in more than ten years. Because of the time lapse, the committee found that many engineers were doing tasks on a daily basis that crossed over two or even three grades. The descriptions cover typical requirements for a wide range of engineering organizations and positions. In addition, many organizations may not have the full array of grades listed. The committee’s goal was to streamline the grade matrix to make it more user-friendly and applicable to today’s marketplace. Therefore, some grades were combined to make the overall matrix smaller but still cover all aspects of engineering employment from entry level to senior executive.

The matrix may be used by both employers and employees in engineering communities to help facilitate an understanding of the knowledge, skills, and responsibilities associated with the different engineering grades, as well as to provide a guide to professional development needs and career progression. When applying the guidelines, users should keep the following in mind: these descriptions should be considered as typical characteristics of an engineer at a particular grade, rather than minimum requirements; conformance with every item may not be required to achieve a specific grade; the grade descriptions include language applicable to both technical and management career paths; and, in general, compensation and benefits increase with higher grades (please note, however, compensation and benefits are determined by many variables that may not be included in these guidelines).

With the rollout of the new matrix, ASCE has produced a publication to give civil engineering and human resource professionals a tangible reference guide that is easily read and understood. You may also find the grade matrix on the Web at www.asce.org∕professional∕careers. Additional information can be obtained from Guide to Hiring and Retaining Great Civil Engineers (ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 103) and The Engineering Income and Salary Survey (www.asce.org∕salaries).