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The differences between building engineers and stationary engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a building engineer, becoming a stationary engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a building engineer has an average salary of $76,446, which is higher than the $69,163 average annual salary of a stationary engineer.
The top three skills for a building engineer include HVAC, ladders and plumbing. The most important skills for a stationary engineer are HVAC, preventive maintenance, and plumbing.
| Building Engineer | Stationary Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,446 | $69,163 |
| Hourly rate | $36.75 | $33.25 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 13,440 | 5,010 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
The job of building engineers is to provide advice on design, installation, and maintenance of energy-efficient and cost-effective systems for all building services, including lighting, water, and air conditioning. These professionals are responsible for the distribution of water supply and electricity and resolving tenants' maintenance problems such as plumbing and electrical systems. Additional duties of the building engineers include conducting tests on systems, ensuring compliance with health and safety requirements, and liaising with construction professionals like surveyors and electricians.
Stationary Engineers are employees who are trained to operate machines and equipment. They mainly operate mechanical equipment, boilers, steam engines, and other stationary engines. They are also trained to conduct maintenance checks and basic repairs on such equipment. Stationary Engineers should be able to read gauges on the machines and assess the fuel levels. They are expected to monitor the machines and equipment and to track the operations. They are also expected to record and document the performance of the equipment. Sationary Engineers should know how to test the quality of the machines' outputs. This would help them manage the equipment.
Building engineers and stationary engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Building Engineer | Stationary Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,446 | $69,163 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $116,000 | Between $44,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a building engineer and a stationary engineer in terms of educational background:
| Building Engineer | Stationary Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 32% | Associate Degree, 35% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Heating And Air Conditioning |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between building engineers' and stationary engineers' demographics:
| Building Engineer | Stationary Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 97.0% Female, 3.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.2% Asian, 4.5% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |