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The differences between associate design engineers and contracting 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 associate design engineer and a contracting engineer. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $74,791 average annual salary of an associate design engineer.
The top three skills for an associate design engineer include design engineering, CAD and autocad. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Associate Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,791 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $35.96 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 108,860 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An Associate Design Engineer is a specialist focused on the engineering process design for various engineering disciplines, such as mechanical, electrical, or structural. Duties include designing and coordinating projects, conducting model making and product testing, identifying new processes that promote cost-savings, efficiency, and quality, and assisting the director in contract bidding. They are also involved in resource forecasting, budgeting, and technical report writing. An associate design engineer liaises with clients, contractors, and colleagues to ensure the project is delivered according to the timeline.
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
Associate design engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,791 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $95,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | New York |
| Best paying company | Silicon Labs | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Professional |
There are a few differences between an associate design engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between associate design engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Associate Design Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |