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The differences between assistant chief engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an assistant chief engineer, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an assistant chief engineer has an average salary of $93,642, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for an assistant chief engineer include HVAC, plumbing and customer service. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,642 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $45.02 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 15,988 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 49 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
The assistant chief engineer works under the direct supervision of the chief engineer. Most of the chief engineer's responsibilities are given to the assistant, such as delegating employees for different tasks, inspect plans and blueprints, conduct determinations of various engineering projects, and provide reports and status updates of each. An assistant chief engineer's job is vital for any engineering project, and high organizational skills are required. Alongside this, the assistant must have competent knowledge in all relevant fields of engineering.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Assistant chief engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,642 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $139,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | BGC Partners | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an assistant chief engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between assistant chief engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Assistant Chief Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 49 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |