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The differences between chief engineers and consulting 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 chief engineer and a consulting engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $97,746 average annual salary of a consulting engineer.
The top three skills for a chief engineer include HVAC, plumbing and customer service. The most important skills for a consulting engineer are java, C #, and linux.
| Chief Engineer | Consulting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,050 | $97,746 |
| Hourly rate | $51.95 | $46.99 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 88,473 | 125,600 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
A consulting engineer is an individual who aids in the planning, designing, and construction of a project from the public and private clients. Consulting engineers are required to advise on the best component suitable according to the needs of their clients. They can manage the project by coordinating with designers, architects, and relevant persons who have commissioned the project. They may incorporate green sustainable energy solutions based on the demands of their clients. Consulting engineers must also conduct a feasibility study and prepare the estimated cost for the project.
Chief engineers and consulting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Engineer | Consulting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,050 | $97,746 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $177,000 | Between $72,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | BGC Partners | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between a chief engineer and a consulting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Engineer | Consulting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 49% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chief engineers' and consulting engineers' demographics:
| Chief Engineer | Consulting Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 13.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |