What is Consulting Engineer?
Consulting engineers work on short-term projects with a number of companies rather then as an in-house employee of a company, bringing their expertise in weather it be planning design construction or analysis for public and private infrastructure.
The industry of consulting engineering has all forms of accredited professionals and expertise in numerous different areas and areas for civil, structural, environmental, chemical, mechanical, electrical, geotechnical, agricultural and industrial engineering to develop and deliver safer and more effective products, processes, and procedures for society.
Consulting engineers may work on a team of people under an agency or consultancy firm to resolve numerous project problems or they could be self employed.
In all cases they will be approached to advise and manage specific project issues for clients and then once each contract is completed they would take on the next contract.
Consulting engineers may get hired for any amount of projects or for specific parts or states of a project.
What does engineering consultant do?
The profession of engineering consultant can be a diverse one as a consultant may work in multiple industries and/or may use a variety of disciplines related to engineering.
Other times, a consultant may be focused on one industry, working on a similar area of projects thus gaining extensive knowledge in that area.
As with any type of engineer, they use their scientific and mathematics skill sets to provide solutions for the real-world.
The specific responsibilities will differ based on the nature of the job and the industry, however usually speaking the consulting engineer will provide input to a client through expert advice and assistance for planning, design and construction issues.
Some example duties of an engineering consultant would be:
1. Feasibility Studies:
Investigating and mapping out the feasibility of a project, involving the matching of timescales, equipment and costing
2. Project Planning:
Designing a project involving processes, risk assessments, staffing and all other project requirements
3. Project Management:
Managing a project from start to finish, dealing with liaising with, and reporting to, various specialists and clients and, usually, leading a team of other engineers and experts
Consulting engineers are able to tackle technical challenges using their design and planning expertise, improve performance, create new designs, improve processes and methodologies, check for failure causes, advise on monitoring and maintenance of services, give advice on limitations and benefits of materials, advice on equipment, advice on implementing health and safety improvements, etc. in order to optimise a project.
Consulting engineers utilise their skills and knowledge to provide innovative solutions for a variety of industries. Often this will involve working on site visits to meet and discuss approaches collaboratively with team members or clients.
Outside of site visits, the work of consulting engineers is predominantly desk-based, including administrative tasks, on-time tasks, and design and project management, or other tasks.
How to be an Engineering Consultant
Most engineers while taking up consultancy-type work will have initially obtained their engineering degree or equivalent qualifications, possibly completing their qualification through a recognised apprenticeship.
Whichever route you take, it is very helpful to have some work experience in the (engineering) consulting world to allow you some on-the-job experience in consultancy.
How to Become an Engineering Consultant?
- Obtaining a Degree (or similar qualification): Getting a Bachelors degree in engineering or an engineering related area of study is typically the starting point to becoming a consulting engineer. This education provides you with the relevant knowledge and skills needed to gain a position that offers an entry-level salary.
- Choosing an Area of Specialism: You may need to select a specialism in your area of work. You should choose a specialism that you feel you have a strength in as well as an interest in.
- Apply for an Entry Level Position: You will need to start at the bottom and progress upward, so aim for an entry level position at a consulting engineering firm.
- Advancing your Career: You will want to continue developing your knowledge and skills as you build your practical skills on the job. You will likely need to research further study or post-graduate degree and certification to continue developing your career.
Skills
In addition to the formal engineering qualifications and knowledge from the university degree, you will also need to apply a range of other skills and attributes to become a consulting engineer. These include:
1. Communication and Team Work Skills:
It is very important that you can work and collaborate with others, including with other engineers, client(s), managers, and others in the project.
You will also need to be able to communicate clearly with all of the people involved in a project, so that the project is developed in a collegial manner, the work has been completed to their satisfaction, and to provide feedback and reporting.
2. Sales and Winning Contracts:
you must be able to continue to win contracts for new work by selling your service. This could include fighting off other competing bids and being able to explain to the contractor why they should choose your services for the job.
3. Versatility and Adaptability:
Since engineering consultants work upon a number of jobs within different sectors/ industries , they need to show versatility and adaptability in applying knowledge and skills to solve real world problems.
4. Detail Oriented:
Project management relies on details; details that help reduce/eliminate risk to the job so that any problems can be handled quickly and efficiently. There will be expectations by the client to provide a high level of service, therefore it is your responsibility to understand the work so you can optimize the end result.
Work and Employment
There is a wide scope for the type of clients that consulting engineers can be engaged by, e.g. construction company, government body including local authorities, power generation companies etc.
Therefore, the role of a consulting engineer has a varying degree in their duties and many consulting engineering firms will provide a range of capabilities, and specialisations to numerous needs, while others will prefer focus on a single area of engineering.
Consulting Engineers, will often be working with other project team members (fellow engineers, technician, etc.).
Things that consulting engineers do include design, project management and coordination, site visits, administration services, choosing equipment and more; the knowledge and experience of consulting engineers help to optimize project efficiencies that include better production and safety with less use of materials, less failures and an overall decrease in cost.
As mentioned of course above, consulting engineers may need to compete by tender against other companies and individuals for projects. Clients will tend to choose a consulting engineer based on a combination including:
- Professional ability, reliability and reputation
- Specialist knowledge, skills and experience
- Resources
- Impartiality
- Cost of service
The selection may include a formal interview process and the submission of information to the client such as systems and working practices, and information from previous customers. Because of this it is important to provide best outcomes possible to ensure repeat and/or future work.
Engineering Consultant Salary
The salary of engineering consultants varies widely based on factors such as location, experience and seniority.
Having said that, consulting engineers can earn good salaries even at entry-level, with many companies paying above-average salaries in order to attract the best consultants in the business. Consulting engineers also tend to earn more than equivalent in-house engineers.
The specific figures for engineer consultants varies widely based on the source, but using Payscale.co.uk (2022), starting salaries in the UK are around £29,000 with the top end of the earnings range exceeding £75,000 per year.
All this equals an average salary of £40,969 a year. However, according to Reed.co.uk an average consulting engineer salary is £58,449 for the year, with salaries ranging from £30,000 to £100,000+.
However the definitions may not exactly align, consulting engineers are among the highest paid engineering professionals.
FAQs
How Does Engineering Consultancy Work?
Engineering consultants work on a short term basis for different clients. The role needs to achieve select requirements, such as, efficiencies, cost reductions, or problems/complexes resolved.
The engineering consultants will either be employed by a consultancy or work on their own and aim to deliver the required outcomes for specified goals within a specific project. A consultant role may exist for the duration of the overall project, or for a discrete piece of work within a project.
Why do Engineers go into Consultancy?
Consultancy offers engineers a challenge, including a different workload and meeting different people across industries and businesses. This is a professional challenge that, will be paid better than an in-house role. So variety of work, pay, and the opportunity to challenge themselves and their skills, are reasons engineers move into consultancy.
Is Engineering Consultancy a Good Career?
Engineering consultancy is a good career choice for anyone with knowledge, skills and experience. You can either specialise in an area or cover a number of specialism for a number of clients. Engineering consultancy offers variety and pays well.
How Much do Engineering Consultants Make?
The pay for engineering consultants can vary based on location, specialism, experience, and client requirements. Engineering consultants typically have higher pay rates than in-house engineers on account of the job challenges.
In the UK, for example glassdoor.co.uk reported engineering consultant national average salary was £42,873 as of Oct 22, however senior consultants earnt in excess of £100,000 annually.