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What you didn't know about engineering...
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This is what ChatGPT concluded about your question:
Short answer:
For a civil engineer early in their career, periodic 50–60 hour weeks and a couple of 14-hour field days can be normal, but only in specific contexts. Whether this is healthy “growing pains” or a red flag depends on why the hours are happening and whether they are temporary.
Below is an industry-realistic breakdown.
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What’s normal in civil engineering (early career)
✔️ Situations where this is expected
• Construction / field assignments
• Long days during pours, inspections, shutdowns, or critical milestones are common.
• Two 14-hour days tied to field work is very normal.
• Deadline-driven phases
• Submittal deadlines, permit packages, or client deliverables often cause short bursts of overtime.
• First 1–2 years
• New grads (even with a master’s) often work longer hours while learning workflows, codes, and expectations.
• Salaried exempt roles
• Most civil engineers are salaried; unpaid overtime is common (though not always fair).
➡️ If this is episodic and project-specific, it’s normal.
⸻
🚩 When it becomes a concern
Red flags that suggest a problem
• 50–60 hours every week with no end in sight
• Staffing shortages disguised as “this is just how it is”
• No comp time, flex time, or acknowledgment
• Poor planning (chronic fire drills, not true emergencies)
• Burnout culture (“we all do this, get used to it”)
➡️ If this pace is the baseline rather than the exception, it’s a warning sign.
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Industry norms by subfield
Subfield Typical Reality
Construction / Field Eng. Long days during active phases; calmer between
Consulting (design) 45–55 hrs during deadlines; usually lighter otherwise
Transportation / Public sector Closer to 40 hrs; overtime more controlled
Environmental / Geotech Field spikes, office calmer
Land development Can be demanding; client-driven schedules
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Master’s degree factor (important)
Having a master’s does not shield you from early-career overtime. In fact:
• Expectations may be higher
• You may be trusted with more responsibility sooner
• But pay and hours don’t always scale accordingly early on
This mismatch is common — and one reason many civils change firms after 1–3 years.
⸻
What an experienced civil engineer would advise him
He should ask himself (and possibly his manager):
1. Is this tied to a specific project phase?
2. What do “normal weeks” look like here over a year?
3. Do senior engineers work like this long-term?
4. Is there comp time, flexibility, or recognition?
If the answers suggest temporary intensity, it’s probably normal.
If the answers suggest permanent overload, he should start planning an exit.
⸻
Bottom line
• ✅ Yes, this can be normal early-career civil engineering, especially with field work.
• ❌ No, it should not be the steady-state expectation.
• ⏳ If this continues unchanged for 3–6 months, it’s reasonable — and common — to look for a better-balanced firm.
If you want, I can help craft a realistic forum reply or advice tailored to a specific subfield (construction vs consulting vs public sector).
It may be normal for the company or your particular industry but that doesn't mean it's reasonable or fair. Have you talked to your coworkers or other civil engineers in the line of work you're doing? I would ask around to see if other people on your team are being asked to work the same amount.
Welcome to not being at the very, very, top of the ladder ... I've been in this industry for over 20 years and I still average 46/52 weeks @ 50-70 hours/week.