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The differences between acoustical engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an acoustical engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, an acoustical engineer has an average salary of $93,808, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for an acoustical engineer include transducers, data analysis and DSP. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Acoustical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,808 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $45.10 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 74,331 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An acoustical engineer works primarily with sound; they reduce noise pollution in areas like construction sites and airports. Noise pollution is particularly hard to contain, which means an acoustical engineer is essential to manage the potential hazards of constant high-decibel sounds. Their job involves inspecting a location, determining the loudest areas, recommending measures to minimize noise pollution, and implementing all approved recommendations.
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Acoustical engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acoustical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,808 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $126,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between an acoustical engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Acoustical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between acoustical engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Acoustical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 15.7% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |