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The differences between bridge engineers and senior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a bridge engineer and a senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $78,679 average annual salary of a bridge engineer.
The top three skills for a bridge engineer include autocad, structural analysis and AASHTO. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Bridge Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,679 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $37.83 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 16,970 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A bridge engineer specializes in planning and overseeing bridge construction, ensuring efficiency and safety. Their responsibilities typically revolve around understanding the needs of every project and sites, coordinating with experts, setting goals and objectives, managing the budgets and schedules, and developing procedures to optimize construction operations. Furthermore, as a bridge engineer, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals, all while enforcing the safety policies and regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment for everyone.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Bridge engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Bridge Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,679 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $103,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sacramento, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a bridge engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Bridge Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between bridge engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Bridge Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.5% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |