Structural Designer Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Structural designers create detailed plans and specifications for buildings, bridges, and infrastructure projects. Most H-1B visa positions require a bachelor's degree in structural engineering, civil engineering, or closely related field. Engineering roles typically qualify as specialty occupations, making visa sponsorship more straightforward for employers.
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At SSOE, you will thrive within an innovation-driven culture where structural design excellence fuels impactful industrial and complex commercial projects worldwide. Collaborating seamlessly across architectural, MEP, process, civil, and automation disciplines, you'll transform conceptual visions into sophisticated, buildable structural solutions. Our senior designers flourish within a mentorship-rich environment fostering continuous learning, creative problem-solving, and cross-discipline collaboration. We prioritize delivering visionary engineering designs underpinned by rigorous processes and cutting-edge technology investments, including advanced BIM, parametric modeling, and AI-enabled design tools.
Career advancement paths are clearly defined, enabling you to grow your creative and technical leadership while shaping the structural identity of projects that define critical infrastructure globally. Your design innovations will influence both immediate project success and organizational capabilities. SSOE's commitment to social responsibility, safety, and integrity ensures your designs promote sustainable, safe, and resilient built environments that stand as testaments to engineering excellence.
AI AND INNOVATION:
At SSOE, we don’t just talk about the future, we build it. As a leader in industry AI adoption, we empower our team to work smarter by providing responsible access to the industry leading AI Large Language Models, vibe-coding platforms, and securely integrating advanced tools into every role. From day one, you’ll receive the training and support needed to leverage AI as a core tool for enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and streamlining complex workflows.
Responsibilities:
- Applies standard design techniques and procedures exercising judgment in making minor adaptations and modifications to design concepts.
- Receives instructions on specific assignment objectives, complex features, and assistance in deriving possible solutions to unusual problems.
- Coordinates and directs the work effort of designers on the same project with some responsibility for checking portions of the completed drawings.
- Prepares addendums and bulletins. Initiates project change orders for submittal to the project manager.
- Attends construction meetings and produces site observation reports and final punch list. May trouble-shoot design problems in the field during construction.
- Develops an understanding for other discipline's needs and requirements and relates them to own discipline and total project scope.
- Researches design options and documents findings for project engineer/architect.
- Checks design calculations and drawings.
- Processes shop drawings; checks to ensure quality accuracy and completeness.
- Has frequent external customer contact.
- May be requested to attend training to develop supervisory skills.
- May serve as job captain on single discipline projects.
- May write portions of specifications and assist in preparing design and construction cost estimates.
- Travel required.
- Valid driver's license required. May be waived for international assignments.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Competitive Salary: $80,000 - $90,000/year depending on location, education, experience, and certifications.
- Bonus and Incentives: Based on experience, you will be eligible for our annual target bonus/incentive program derived from company and individual performance and goals.
- Ownership Opportunities: SSOE offers ownership opportunities to all employees at the Associate level and above.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401K retirement savings plan (with company matching), professional development and training, generous PTO, and paid holidays.
ADDITIONAL PERKS:
- Dynamic Culture: Experience a supportive culture where you're an essential and highly valued member of our vibrant team.
- Exciting Projects: Work on thrilling projects from inception to completion and engage directly with some of the most innovative clients globally.
- Continuous Learning: Embrace a culture of perpetual learning where curiosity is celebrated, innovative ideas are welcomed, and your career growth aspirations are fully supported.
- Career Stability: A diversity of market sectors, project types, and geographic locations that help insulate your career from economic ups and downs.
- Career Advancement: Embark on a structured career journey with abundant opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Holistic Compensation: A holistic approach to compensation and benefits that supports your physical and mental health, encourages work-life balance, and empowers your career advancement and financial success.
SSOE – THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
At SSOE, our growth trajectory allows us to offer the opportunities normally associated with a large firm while embracing the collaborative and supportive culture often found in smaller firms. As a member of the SSOE team, you will work on exciting and diverse projects for Fortune 100 clients around the globe, supported by the best technology for the task at hand. You will experience our employee-centric culture that strives to offer a healthy balance, flexible working arrangements, direct access to leadership at all levels, and a mindset of continuous learning. Once you experience the SSOE difference, you’ll understand the why behind our metrics:
- 28% - of our employees have been with SSOE for 10 years or more.
- 15% - percentage of employees with tenure exceeding 15 years.
- 99% - our CEO’s approval rating on Glassdoor.
- 98% - portion of our clients who say they would recommend us to a colleague.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Associate degree in the engineering or architectural fields preferred.
- Minimum ten (10) years related designer experience with former employer(s).
- Ability to fully utilize and leverage all aspects of Revit, AutoCAD and Navisworks software is essential. MicroStation skills are also beneficial.
- Certification course in Civil/Structural discipline, Associate or Bachelor degree tracked in CAD/BIM Design Technology or related field is preferred.
- Ability to organize and set up drawing packages to clearly show the requirements of the project.
- Good working knowledge of the IBC, AISC and ACI standards and specifications, as well as other related industry standards, specifications and guidelines.
- Ability to work well with other team members in the same office or remote locations.
- Have the ability to complete the modeling and drawing portion of a project from start to finish.
- Excellent organizational and communication skills are essential.
- Experience on Industrial and Manufacturing building projects is mandatory.
- Experience on Data Center and/or Pharmaceutical projects is preferred.
Overview:
At SSOE, you will thrive within an innovation-driven culture where structural design excellence fuels impactful industrial and complex commercial projects worldwide. Collaborating seamlessly across architectural, MEP, process, civil, and automation disciplines, you'll transform conceptual visions into sophisticated, buildable structural solutions. Our senior designers flourish within a mentorship-rich environment fostering continuous learning, creative problem-solving, and cross-discipline collaboration. We prioritize delivering visionary engineering designs underpinned by rigorous processes and cutting-edge technology investments, including advanced BIM, parametric modeling, and AI-enabled design tools.
Career advancement paths are clearly defined, enabling you to grow your creative and technical leadership while shaping the structural identity of projects that define critical infrastructure globally. Your design innovations will influence both immediate project success and organizational capabilities. SSOE's commitment to social responsibility, safety, and integrity ensures your designs promote sustainable, safe, and resilient built environments that stand as testaments to engineering excellence.
AI AND INNOVATION:
At SSOE, we don’t just talk about the future, we build it. As a leader in industry AI adoption, we empower our team to work smarter by providing responsible access to the industry leading AI Large Language Models, vibe-coding platforms, and securely integrating advanced tools into every role. From day one, you’ll receive the training and support needed to leverage AI as a core tool for enhancing productivity, sparking creativity, and streamlining complex workflows.
Responsibilities:
- Applies standard design techniques and procedures exercising judgment in making minor adaptations and modifications to design concepts.
- Receives instructions on specific assignment objectives, complex features, and assistance in deriving possible solutions to unusual problems.
- Coordinates and directs the work effort of designers on the same project with some responsibility for checking portions of the completed drawings.
- Prepares addendums and bulletins. Initiates project change orders for submittal to the project manager.
- Attends construction meetings and produces site observation reports and final punch list. May trouble-shoot design problems in the field during construction.
- Develops an understanding for other discipline's needs and requirements and relates them to own discipline and total project scope.
- Researches design options and documents findings for project engineer/architect.
- Checks design calculations and drawings.
- Processes shop drawings; checks to ensure quality accuracy and completeness.
- Has frequent external customer contact.
- May be requested to attend training to develop supervisory skills.
- May serve as job captain on single discipline projects.
- May write portions of specifications and assist in preparing design and construction cost estimates.
- Travel required.
- Valid driver's license required. May be waived for international assignments.
WHAT WE OFFER:
- Competitive Salary: $80,000 - $90,000/year depending on location, education, experience, and certifications.
- Bonus and Incentives: Based on experience, you will be eligible for our annual target bonus/incentive program derived from company and individual performance and goals.
- Ownership Opportunities: SSOE offers ownership opportunities to all employees at the Associate level and above.
- Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401K retirement savings plan (with company matching), professional development and training, generous PTO, and paid holidays.
ADDITIONAL PERKS:
- Dynamic Culture: Experience a supportive culture where you're an essential and highly valued member of our vibrant team.
- Exciting Projects: Work on thrilling projects from inception to completion and engage directly with some of the most innovative clients globally.
- Continuous Learning: Embrace a culture of perpetual learning where curiosity is celebrated, innovative ideas are welcomed, and your career growth aspirations are fully supported.
- Career Stability: A diversity of market sectors, project types, and geographic locations that help insulate your career from economic ups and downs.
- Career Advancement: Embark on a structured career journey with abundant opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Holistic Compensation: A holistic approach to compensation and benefits that supports your physical and mental health, encourages work-life balance, and empowers your career advancement and financial success.
SSOE – THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
At SSOE, our growth trajectory allows us to offer the opportunities normally associated with a large firm while embracing the collaborative and supportive culture often found in smaller firms. As a member of the SSOE team, you will work on exciting and diverse projects for Fortune 100 clients around the globe, supported by the best technology for the task at hand. You will experience our employee-centric culture that strives to offer a healthy balance, flexible working arrangements, direct access to leadership at all levels, and a mindset of continuous learning. Once you experience the SSOE difference, you’ll understand the why behind our metrics:
- 28% - of our employees have been with SSOE for 10 years or more.
- 15% - percentage of employees with tenure exceeding 15 years.
- 99% - our CEO’s approval rating on Glassdoor.
- 98% - portion of our clients who say they would recommend us to a colleague.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Associate degree in the engineering or architectural fields preferred.
- Minimum ten (10) years related designer experience with former employer(s).
- Ability to fully utilize and leverage all aspects of Revit, AutoCAD and Navisworks software is essential. MicroStation skills are also beneficial.
- Certification course in Civil/Structural discipline, Associate or Bachelor degree tracked in CAD/BIM Design Technology or related field is preferred.
- Ability to organize and set up drawing packages to clearly show the requirements of the project.
- Good working knowledge of the IBC, AISC and ACI standards and specifications, as well as other related industry standards, specifications and guidelines.
- Ability to work well with other team members in the same office or remote locations.
- Have the ability to complete the modeling and drawing portion of a project from start to finish.
- Excellent organizational and communication skills are essential.
- Experience on Industrial and Manufacturing building projects is mandatory.
- Experience on Data Center and/or Pharmaceutical projects is preferred.
See all 94+ Structural Designer Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Structural Designer roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Visa Sponsorship as a Structural Designer
Target engineering consulting firms and construction companies
Large firms like AECOM, Jacobs, and Stantec regularly sponsor H-1B visas for structural designers. Mid-sized regional firms also sponsor but may have less experience with the process.
Emphasize your structural engineering degree alignment
USCIS requires the degree to match the role. A structural or civil engineering degree clearly supports H-1B petitions for structural designer positions, unlike general engineering degrees.
Highlight specialized software proficiency
Experience with ETABS, SAP2000, STAAD Pro, or Revit Structure demonstrates the specialized knowledge requirement. Include specific project types where you used these tools professionally.
Consider states with major infrastructure projects
States like California, Texas, and New York have ongoing bridge and building projects requiring structural designers. Government contracts often create steady demand for sponsored positions.
Prepare detailed project portfolio documentation
Document your role in designing specific structures with technical drawings, load calculations, and code compliance work. This supports the specialty occupation argument during USCIS review.
Research the employer's previous LCA filings
Check the Department of Labor's disclosure data to see if potential employers have filed LCAs for structural designers before. Previous filings indicate sponsorship willingness and experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do structural designers qualify for H-1B visa sponsorship?
Yes, structural designer roles typically qualify as specialty occupations requiring a bachelor's degree in structural engineering, civil engineering, or related field. The technical nature of structural design work clearly meets USCIS specialty occupation requirements, making H-1B visa approval rates favorable for properly documented cases.
How to find Structural Designer jobs with visa sponsorship?
Start by using Migrate Mate, which specializes in connecting international professionals with visa-sponsored positions. Focus on construction firms, engineering consultancies, and infrastructure companies that commonly hire Structural Designers on H-1B, TN visa, or O-1 visas. Target employers with established sponsorship programs and highlight your expertise in structural analysis software like ETABS or SAP2000 to stand out.
What degree do I need for structural designer H-1B sponsorship?
You need a bachelor's degree in structural engineering, civil engineering, or closely related engineering field. Architecture degrees may qualify if coursework includes structural analysis and design. Three years of structural design experience can substitute for one year of education under the 3-for-1 rule.
Can structural designers get green cards through employment?
Yes, structural designers can pursue EB-2 or EB-3 green cards. Most qualify for EB-2 with a master's degree or EB-3 with a bachelor's degree. The PERM labor certification process typically takes 12-18 months, followed by I-140 petition filing for permanent residence.
Do I need a PE license for structural designer visa sponsorship?
A Professional Engineer license isn't required for H-1B sponsorship as a structural designer, but it strengthens your case. Many entry-level positions don't require PE licensure. However, PE licensure demonstrates advanced expertise and can support higher prevailing wage determinations.
Which companies commonly sponsor structural designers for work visas?
Large engineering consulting firms like AECOM, Jacobs, WSP, and Thornton Tomasetti regularly sponsor H-1B visas for structural designers. Construction companies, architectural firms with in-house structural departments, and government contractors also provide sponsorship opportunities depending on project needs.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Structural Designer jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.