Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between assistant project engineers and field engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an assistant project engineer, becoming a field engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a field engineer has an average salary of $71,874, which is higher than the $70,944 average annual salary of an assistant project engineer.
The top three skills for an assistant project engineer include shop drawings, contract drawings and construction management. The most important skills for a field engineer are customer service, customer satisfaction, and project management.
| Assistant Project Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,944 | $71,874 |
| Hourly rate | $34.11 | $34.55 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 32,602 | 86,015 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
An assistant project engineer performs support tasks to assist project engineers in overseeing and managing engineering projects. Their responsibilities include conducting inspections and assessments, performing research and analyses, processing documents and certifications, managing schedules, liaising with internal and external parties, and providing technical support to staff as necessary. Besides reporting directly to the project engineer, they also work together in implementing policies and monitoring operations to ensure that engineering projects adhere to project guidelines and requirements.
A field engineer's role will vary on the industry or line of work involved. However, the primary responsibility will mostly revolve around handling equipment and machinery, ensuring that they function effectively and safely. It is also the task of a field engineer to oversee the workflow and workforce, giving directions and recommendations when necessary. Furthermore, a field engineer must develop strategies and plans to improve the site's efficiency, produce progress reports, and coordinate with other workers.
Assistant project engineers and field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Assistant Project Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,944 | $71,874 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $90,000 | Between $51,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oklahoma | Washington |
| Best paying company | Westinghouse Appliances Australia | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between an assistant project engineer and a field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Assistant Project Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between assistant project engineers' and field engineers' demographics:
| Assistant Project Engineer | Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% | Male, 92.7% Female, 7.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 17.3% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |