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The differences between civil engineering designers and assistant 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 civil engineering designer and an assistant project engineer. Additionally, an assistant project engineer has an average salary of $70,944, which is higher than the $57,842 average annual salary of a civil engineering designer.
The top three skills for a civil engineering designer include civil 3d, site design and erosion control. The most important skills for an assistant project engineer are shop drawings, contract drawings, and construction management.
| Civil Engineering Designer | Assistant Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,842 | $70,944 |
| Hourly rate | $27.81 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 102,791 | 32,602 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A civil engineering designer is responsible for creating designs for industrial systems and residential constructions through statistical analysis and data surveys. Civil engineering designers draft comprehensive design plans as part of project proposals, following the clients' specifications and business requirements. They analyze blueprints and schematics to identify resources and materials that would be highly efficient and optimal to support operational functions. A civil engineering designer must have excellent critical-thinking and technical skills, especially in utilizing computer applications and software systems to generate high-quality design deliverables.
An assistant project engineer performs support tasks to assist project engineers in overseeing and managing engineering projects. Their responsibilities include conducting inspections and assessments, performing research and analyses, processing documents and certifications, managing schedules, liaising with internal and external parties, and providing technical support to staff as necessary. Besides reporting directly to the project engineer, they also work together in implementing policies and monitoring operations to ensure that engineering projects adhere to project guidelines and requirements.
Civil engineering designers and assistant project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineering Designer | Assistant Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $57,842 | $70,944 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $82,000 | Between $55,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Hayward, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oklahoma |
| Best paying company | Meta | Westinghouse Appliances Australia |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a civil engineering designer and an assistant project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineering Designer | Assistant Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between civil engineering designers' and assistant project engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineering Designer | Assistant Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.4% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 17.3% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |