Public Works Director
Impact: Problem-solving and innovation
Manage the planning, construction, and maintenance of public infrastructure, including roads, water systems, and parks.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 51% Team / 49% Solo
- Client facing
- Sometimes
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- 10-20% domestic
- Schedule flexibility
- Moderate
- Remote work
- Limited Remote
- Typical work hours
- 43-55 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $93,000
- Entry-level
- $74,000
- Senior
- $100,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 12% (faster than average)
- Demand
- Growing
- Freelance potential
- None
- Salary growth potential
- High to 35% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- Minimal
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- General Skill 1
- General Skill 2
- General Skill 3
Soft skills
- Emotional Intelligence
- Critical Thinking
- Communication
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- No
- Years to mid-career
- 4-5 years
- Years to senior
- 10-13 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Entry Level
- Mid Level
- Senior Level
- Lead/Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 31% to moderate risk due to specialized skills
- AI disruption risk
- Low
- Demand trend
- Growing
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 6.3/10
- Meaning
- 5.2/10
- Work-life balance
- 8.6/10
- Prestige
- 5.9/10
- Social perception
- High