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The differences between chief science officers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a chief science officer, becoming a chief engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief science officer has an average salary of $126,094, which is higher than the $108,050 average annual salary of a chief engineer.
The top three skills for a chief science officer include R, business strategy and oversight. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Chief Science Officer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $126,094 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $60.62 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 69,119 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Chief Science Officers are responsible for leading the scientific operations of an organization. Their duties include developing scientific strategies, directing clinical trial designs, implementing research processes, and communicating the scientific vision to investors and senior management. Besides that, they are involved in managing the scientific budget, identifying research opportunities, and fostering scientific partnerships with key stakeholders. Chief Science Officers are also involved in creating research programs, track research milestones, and source for funding channels. They produce research and development reports and provide mentorship to the research team.
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.
Chief science officers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Science Officer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $126,094 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $190,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Community Health Systems | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a chief science officer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Science Officer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Biology | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between chief science officers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Chief Science Officer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.7% Female, 26.3% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 12.8% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |