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The differences between chemical engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chemical engineer has an average salary of $89,449, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a chemical engineer include chemistry, technical support and co-op. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Chemical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,449 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $43.00 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 14% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 42,176 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A chemical engineer provides support for chemical operations and testing new processes. The processes they successfully come up with are used to make different products from gas, oil, food, and drink. It is their job to assist in designing new chemical processes and make improvements. They implement fresh ideas to improve standard quality and efficiency. They must be good planners and schedulers of project activities to help chemical technicians to achieve their project objectives and provide technical support to maintain safe, stable, and reliable operations.
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Chemical engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chemical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,449 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $119,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sugar Land, TX | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | Washington |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a chemical engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chemical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chemical engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Chemical Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 21.3% White, 60.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |