Circuit design engineer vs special project engineer

The differences between circuit design engineers and special project 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 circuit design engineer and a special project engineer. Additionally, a circuit design engineer has an average salary of $107,694, which is higher than the $70,934 average annual salary of a special project engineer.

The top three skills for a circuit design engineer include circuit design, CMOS and RF. The most important skills for a special project engineer are DOD, design changes, and engineering support.

Circuit design engineer vs special project engineer overview

	Circuit Design Engineer	Special Project Engineer
Yearly salary	$107,694	$70,934
Hourly rate	$51.78	$34.10
Growth rate	3%	2%
Number of jobs	70,906	90,999
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	45	41
Years of experience	6	6

What does a circuit design engineer do?

A circuit design engineer specializes in designing and developing electrical components and circuits in devices and machinery. Among their responsibilities include identifying the needs of every project, developing strategies to attain optimal quality, developing diagrams and test structures, troubleshooting, and repairing issues. They must also perform regular maintenance checks on existing systems and perform upgrades and corrective measures as needed. Moreover, a circuit design engineer typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.

What does a special project engineer do?

A special project engineer is in-charged in the preparation, scheduling, coordination, and monitoring of engineering projects. He/She or she should be able to establish good relationships with prospective clients to gain information on engineering requirements and delegate tasks to staff. The core skills that a special project engineer should possess include good creative ability and excellent mechanical and listening skills. Other requirements to qualify for the position include a college degree in business or mechanical engineering.

Circuit design engineer vs special project engineer salary

Circuit design engineers and special project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Circuit Design Engineer	Special Project Engineer
Average salary	$107,694	$70,934
Salary range	Between $84,000 And $137,000	Between $52,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City	Federal Way, WA	Newark, CA
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Apple	Apple
Best paying industry	Technology	Hospitality

Differences between circuit design engineer and special project engineer education

There are a few differences between a circuit design engineer and a special project engineer in terms of educational background:

	Circuit Design Engineer	Special Project Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Northeastern University	Stanford University

Circuit design engineer vs special project engineer demographics

Here are the differences between circuit design engineers' and special project engineers' demographics:

	Circuit Design Engineer	Special Project Engineer
Average age	45	41
Gender ratio	Male, 74.4% Female, 25.6%	Male, 65.9% Female, 34.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 19.9% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.4% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	5%

Differences between circuit design engineer and special project engineer duties and responsibilities

Circuit design engineer example responsibilities.

Lead cross-site LVR task force to get full set of schematics match to functional target RTL model.
Process orders for VPN long distance service and manage the VPN dial plan to ensure no duplications.
Manage client order request generate from sales, provisioning and designing data, voice and IP network services.
Size transistors to reduce RC time constant in dynamic flip-flops and to achieve equivalent performance in high frequency.
Lead a small design team to deliver a 90 nm LP 125 MHz medium-size Gigabit Ethernet PHY DSP.
Manage a team that include hardware engineers, software engineers, and verifications engineers to evaluate the McORE 200 microprocessor.

Special project engineer example responsibilities.

Manage a database for storage of CNC machining programs and engineering drawings.
Manage several industrial production building HVAC equipment replacement projects.
Develop software to automate generation of engineering drawings and BOM.
Manage custom product design & generate all require documentation for both customer and manufacturing groups using AutoCAD rel.
Implement cost reduction strategies through aggressive RFP and bidding processes while optimizing distribution processes and maintaining excellent customer service standards.
Perform basic setup of fanuc control CNC machines.

Circuit design engineer vs special project engineer skills

Common circuit design engineer skills

Circuit Design, 14%
CMOS, 6%
RF, 6%
Verilog, 5%
CAD, 4%
FPGA, 4%

Common special project engineer skills

DOD, 10%
Design Changes, 10%
Engineering Support, 10%
R, 8%
Prototype, 7%
CAD, 6%

Circuit Design Engineer vs. similar jobs

Circuit Design Engineer related careers

Circuit Design Engineer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Architecture and Engineering Industry
Circuit Design Engineer
Circuit Design Engineer vs Special Project Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse architecture and engineering jobs