
Entry-Level Structural Engineer - Hydraulic Structures
Sacramento, CAJob$68–85K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today
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At a glance
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Requirements
Credentials this posting asks for.
Job overview
WSP USA seeks an Entry-Level Structural Engineer for its Hydraulic Structures Group. The engineer will support multidisciplinary teams in planning, analyzing, designing, evaluating, and rehabilitating water infrastructure, including dams, spillways, hydropower facilities, canals, and flood-control structures. The role includes technical and field support for project delivery, collaboration across engineering disciplines, and compliance with structural and dam safety standards.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Benefits
Full job description
This Opportunity
We are seeking an Entry-Level Structural Engineer to join our Hydraulic Structures Group. In this role, you will support multidisciplinary teams in the planning, analysis, design, evaluation, and rehabilitation of dams, spillways, outlet works, hydropower facilities, canals, flood-control structures, and related civil works. This position provides an outstanding opportunity to develop technical expertise supporting critical water infrastructure and public safety.
Key Responsibilities
Structural Analysis & Design
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Perform structural analyses for reinforced concrete, steel, and masonry hydraulic structures.
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Support design calculations, drawings, specifications, and technical memoranda.
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Assist in evaluating hydrostatic, seismic, hydrodynamic, thermal, and soil-structure interaction loading.
Technical Support for Project Delivery
- Assist with reports, feasibility studies, alternatives analyses, engineering evaluations, cost estimates, risk assessments, and design documentation.
Field Investigations
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Participate in inspections of dams, spillways, outlet works, canals, and related hydraulic structures.
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Support field data collection and construction observation activities.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
- Work with geotechnical, hydraulic, mechanical, electrical, and CAD/BIM professionals.
Quality and Standards Compliance
- Support compliance with ACI, AISC, ASCE 7, USACE, USBR, and dam safety requirements.
Minimum Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Civil or Structural Engineering.
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Strong knowledge of structural mechanics, reinforced concrete, and steel design.
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Proficiency with engineering analysis tools and Microsoft Office.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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Ability to work collaboratively.
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EIT certification or ability to obtain within 12 months.
Preferred Qualifications
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Master’s degree in Structural Engineering or related field.
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Internship or coursework related to dams, hydraulic structures, or water infrastructure.
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Familiarity with finite element modeling and nonlinear structural behavior.
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Experience with AutoCAD, Revit, or Civil 3D.
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Exposure to hydrology and hydraulics concepts.
Professional Growth Opportunities
Mentorship from senior engineers, training in advanced analysis methods, opportunities to support dam safety evaluations and major water infrastructure projects, and support for PE licensure and ongoing professional development.
Work Environment
Occasional travel for field investigations, construction support, site inspections, and project meetings may be required. Field work may include outdoor environments, confined spaces, and work near water bodies and heavy equipment while following all safety requirements.
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.
Compensation:
Expected Salary (all locations): $68,200 - $85,300
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.
About WSP
WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.
WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.
At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?
WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status.
The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.
NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:
WSP does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters, employment agencies, or other staffing services. Unsolicited resumes include any resume or hiring document sent to WSP in the absence of a signed Service Agreement where WSP has expressly requested recruitment/staffing services specific to the position at hand. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers or other business leaders, will become the property of WSP and WSP will have the right to hire that candidate without reservation – no fee or other compensation will be owed or paid to the recruiter, employment agency, or other staffing service.
How this job compares
Set against the 3,124 open Structural Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 3, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$68–85K/yr
- California median$115–172K/yr230 salary ranges
- US median$100–155K/yr1,916 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $77K, is 47% below the California median midpoint ($144K) — in the lowest quarter of Structural Engineer salary ranges in California.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 282 open Structural Engineer jobs in California and 3,124 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Experience
- Structural Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for 6 years of experience at the median; the middle half ask for 3 to 10 years (2,681 postings).
- Education
- This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 2,397 of the 3,124 open Structural Engineer jobs (77%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 3, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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