What is a structural engineer license, and how do you get one?
Every state licenses structural engineers as Professional Engineers, through the standard route of an ABET-accredited degree, the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, about four years of progressive experience and the PE examination. A minority of states additionally issue a Structural Engineer licence and require it before designing designated structures such as schools, hospitals and buildings above defined thresholds. That licence rests on the NCEES 16-hour Structural examination, taken in two components. Civil and structural engineers earn a $100,840 median.
- Earn an ABET-accredited engineering degree and pass the FE exam.
- Log about four years of progressive structural experience under a PE.
- Pass the PE exam with the structural depth module, or go straight to SE where required.
- Sit the NCEES 16-hour Structural exam where an SE licence applies.
- Apply to the state board and maintain licensure with professional development.
How to get a structural engineer license
- 1
Earn an accredited degree and pass the FE
Complete an ABET-accredited engineering degree and sit the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam, ideally in your final year. Register with your state board as an engineer in training so your experience counts from that point.
- 2
Consider a master's degree
Graduate study is close to the norm in structural practice, and several boards credit it toward part of the experience requirement. It also builds the depth the Structural examination demands, which matters given its pass rates.
- 3
Log progressive structural experience
Work about four years under a licensed engineer on assignments of increasing responsibility, keeping clear records of projects and your role. Boards verify this through references from licensed engineers, so choose supervisors who can speak to your work.
- 4
Pass the PE examination
Sit the NCEES PE Civil examination with the structural depth module, covering analysis, design and detailing of structural systems, loads, materials and construction. This gives you the base licence available in every state.
- 5
Sit the 16-hour Structural exam where SE licensure applies
If you will practise in a state requiring an SE licence, prepare for the two eight-hour components on vertical and lateral forces. Sitting dates are limited, so plan the sequence deliberately, then apply to the board and maintain licensure with professional development hours.
Structural Engineer license requirements
Requirements are set by each state engineering board within the NCEES framework. To practise structural engineering you generally need:
Education
A bachelor's degree from an ABET-accredited engineering programme; many structural engineers add a master's degree, which some states credit toward the experience requirement.
FE and progressive experience
The NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering exam and engineer-in-training registration, followed by around four years of progressive structural engineering experience under a licensed engineer, verified by references.
PE examination
The NCEES PE Civil examination with the structural depth module, or in some states direct entry to the structural licensing route depending on the board's rules.
SE examination where required
The NCEES 16-hour Structural examination, taken as two eight-hour components covering vertical forces and lateral forces, each with breadth and depth sections in buildings or bridges.
How much a structural engineer license costs
Examination and licence fees are modest; the review course for the Structural examination is the significant optional cost. Budget for:
NCEES publishes current examination fees and each board sets its own licence fees. Review courses for the 16-hour Structural examination are a substantial optional cost given its difficulty, and employers in structural practice commonly fund them.
The structural engineer license exam
The PE Civil examination with a structural depth module is the standard route to licensure. The 16-hour Structural examination, required for the SE licence, is a different order of difficulty: two eight-hour components, one on vertical forces including gravity and other loads and one on lateral forces including wind and seismic, each pairing a breadth morning with an afternoon depth section in either buildings or bridges. Both components must be passed, candidates commonly take them in separate sittings, and pass rates are among the lowest of any licensing examination. It is offered on limited dates rather than continuously, which makes sequencing and preparation planning genuinely important.
How long it takes to get licensed
Eight to ten years from starting the degree to a PE licence; pursuing the SE licence typically adds further years given the examination's difficulty.
Structural Engineer license types: the full ladder
The ladder is defined by what you may seal, which is why the SE licence matters so much in the states that issue it.
Engineering graduate
Works on structural design under supervision after an accredited degree, with no independent authority to seal.
Engineer in Training
Earned by passing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and registering with the board; the status under which qualifying experience accrues.
Professional Engineer (PE)
The base licence, authorising responsible charge and sealing of engineering work including structural design in most states.
Structural Engineer (SE)
The additional licence issued by a minority of states, required for designated structures and resting on the 16-hour Structural examination.
Special inspection and peer review roles
Roles that jurisdictions restrict to engineers holding particular licensure, commonly SE licensure where it exists, for significant or high-risk structures.
NCEES Record holder
A verified central record of education, examinations, experience and references, which is what makes comity licensure across states practical.
Firm licensure
Most states license the engineering practice as well, requiring a certificate of authorisation with a licensed engineer in responsible charge.
PE licence vs SE licence: structural engineer license
Structural Engineer license reciprocity between states
PE comity is well established and works through the NCEES Record, which holds verified education, examinations, experience and references so a receiving board can act on documentation rather than re-collecting it. SE comity is narrower: relatively few states issue the licence, their requirements differ, and a PE licensed elsewhere generally cannot obtain SE licensure without the 16-hour Structural examination. Engineers who expect to practise in SE states are usually advised to sit that examination early rather than discovering the restriction on a project. Confirm the designated-structure thresholds as well as the licence requirement with the destination board.
Structural Engineersalary & job outlook
Structural engineers are counted by BLS with civil engineers, a group earning a median of about $100,840 per year ($48.48/hour), with SE-licensed engineers and those in responsible charge of significant structures earning above it. Employment is projected to grow 5.0%, with roughly 23,600 openings a year. See the full structural engineer salary guide for pay by state, city and experience level.
Structural Engineer license requirements by state
The essential question is whether the state issues a separate SE licence and, if so, for which structures it is required.
All states license professional engineers; only a minority issue a separate Structural Engineer licence, and where one exists it is typically required for designated structures such as schools, hospitals and buildings above defined size or occupancy thresholds. A PE alone does not authorise that work in those states. Requirements and thresholds change, so confirm with the state engineering board.
Browse all state guides
Structural Engineer license FAQs
NCEES, Structural (SE) examination · NCEES, Professional Engineer (PE) examinations · ABET accreditation · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (17-2051). Requirements and fees are set per state and change, confirm with your state board before applying.
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