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Substation Civil Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

PG&E Corporation

Civil Project Engineer

Oakland, CA · Hybrid

$115K - $175K/yr

The Substation Civil Engineering department is responsible for civil work for all PG&E substations. This includes the design of foundations, structures, grading, equipment seismic qualification ...

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Substation Civil Engineer information

See California salary details

$37.5K

$81.6K

$121.4K

How much do substation civil engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 23, 2026, the average yearly pay for substation civil engineer in California is $81,591.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $66,600.00 and $97,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a substation civil engineer?

Substation civil engineers are professionals who design, plan, and oversee the construction and maintenance of the civil aspects of electrical substations. Their work includes the layout of foundations, structural supports for equipment, site grading, drainage systems, access roads, and fencing. They ensure that the substation’s physical infrastructure meets regulatory, safety, and operational standards, and they often collaborate closely with electrical engineers and utility companies. Substation civil engineers play a key role in ensuring the reliability and safety of power distribution systems.

What are some common challenges a substation civil engineer faces during project execution?

Substation Civil Engineers often encounter challenges such as coordinating with multiple disciplines (electrical, structural, and environmental), managing project timelines amidst permitting or weather delays, and ensuring strict adherence to safety and regulatory standards. Balancing fieldwork with design and documentation responsibilities can also be demanding, especially when adapting plans to unforeseen site conditions. Strong communication and problem-solving skills are essential to efficiently address these issues and keep projects on track.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a substation civil engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Substation Civil Engineer, you need a solid background in civil engineering principles, structural analysis, and a relevant bachelor's degree, often accompanied by a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Proficiency with design software such as AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and knowledge of industry standards like IEEE and NESC are typically required. Strong project management, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication skills help you collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and handle project challenges. These qualifications and skills are crucial for ensuring the safe, reliable, and cost-effective design and construction of electrical substations.

What is the difference between Substation Civil Engineer vs Electrical Substation Engineer?

AspectSubstation Civil EngineerElectrical Substation Engineer
Primary FocusDesign and construction of civil infrastructure for substationsDesign and maintenance of electrical systems within substations
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Civil Engineering, PE license often preferredBachelor's in Electrical Engineering, PE license often preferred
Work EnvironmentConstruction sites, civil design officesElectrical design labs, substation sites
Industry UsagePower utilities, infrastructure projectsPower utilities, electrical contractors

While both roles are essential in substation projects, the Substation Civil Engineer focuses on civil infrastructure, such as foundations and structures, whereas the Electrical Substation Engineer concentrates on electrical systems. Understanding these differences helps in selecting the right career path or job role within the power industry.

How much money do substation civil engineers make?

Substation civil engineers typically earn a median annual salary ranging from $70,000 to $100,000, depending on experience, location, and industry. Senior engineers or those with specialized skills and certifications can earn higher salaries, often exceeding $120,000 annually.

What are popular job titles related to Substation Civil Engineer jobs in California?

For Substation Civil Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Substation Civil Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Substation Civil Engineer jobs in California are:

Substation Civil Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Substation Civil Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $81,591 per year, or $39.2 per hour.

Civil Design Engineer, Substation

Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Oakland, CA • Hybrid

$44.70 - $74.42/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 24 days ago

Pacific Gas and Electric Company rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 46 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

4th of 53 rated energy and utility

Job description

Requisition ID # 172371 

Job Category: Engineering / Science 

Job Level: Individual Contributor

Business Unit: Strategy & Growth

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland

Department Overview

The hardworking coworkers of Electric Engineering ensure all manners of electric engineering-including electric standards and process safety, electric design engineering, instrumentation testing and controls, undergrounding, electric regulatory compliance and electric investment planning-are in place to safely enable a strategic and stable workplan for our Electric Operations partners. Our organization is accountable for program planning, financial budgeting, and project execution and delivery of all electric engineering projects. Electric Engineering is comprised of approximately 2,000 coworkers.

The Engineering and Design team of Transmission Operations Substation Engineering is responsible for civil, electrical and protection engineering work for all PG&E's substations. Civil design includes substation design of foundations, structures, grading, equipment seismic qualification, SPCC plans and modifications, and seismic retrofit of buildings and equipment.

Position Summary

This entry-level position is represented by Engineers and Scientist of California (ESC) subject to collective bargaining.

As a Civil/Structural Design Engineer in the Substation Civil Engineering department, you will develop civil, structural and environmental designs for our large network of high voltage substations. From our centralized office, you will prepare construction drawings and supporting calculations, participate in field reviews at substation facilities and discuss project objectives with other stakeholders in engineering, construction, operations and maintenance. You will use a variety of design tools, including AutoCAD 3D for drawing development, and SAP2000, PLS-CADD and L-PILE for structural analysis and design.

This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory.

PG&E is providing the hourly rate range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job.  The actual hourly rate paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, collective bargaining agreement, and internal equity.

Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, the hourly rate range for this position is $44.70 to $74.42, subject to collectively bargained wage increases.

 

Job Responsibilities

  • Actively promote safe practices and conduct in accordance with the Corporate Safety policy.
  • Design and retrofit steel structures, reinforced concrete foundations, anchorage, retaining walls, control buildings and equipment support per PG&E Design Criteria.
  • Design access roads, drainage and soil retention systems, and grading and layout of new substations.
  • Design spill containment systems for large oil-filled electrical equipment for environmental compliance.
  • Prepare construction drawings using AutoCAD Civil 3D.
  • Provide Construction Administration assistance to the Responsible Engineer, including review of shop drawings, RFIs and submittals.
  • Foster teamwork and innovation and embrace new approaches to accomplish our work more efficiently and effectively.
  • Travel 10% of the time.

Qualifications

Minimum:

  • Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering; or, its equivalent in education and experience to include education and design drafting experience totaling six years; or education and experience totaling four years including two years at PG&E as a Design Drafter or Senior Design Drafter
  • Must possess and maintain a valid Class C California Driver's License (or higher) by day 1 of hire

Desired:

  • 1 years of experience in structural engineering
  • M.S. degree in Civil or Structural Engineering
  • EIT or PE License
  • Knowledge of building codes including ASCE 7, CBC, ACI 318 and AISC 360
  • Experience with SAP2000 or equivalent structural analysis software
  • Experienced with MS Office

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