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The differences between civil engineering designers and project field 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 a project field engineer. Additionally, a project field engineer has an average salary of $71,292, 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 a project field engineer are shop drawings, project management, and OSHA.
| Civil Engineering Designer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $57,842 | $71,292 |
| Hourly rate | $27.81 | $34.27 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 102,791 | 78,589 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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.
Field engineers are engineering professionals who work on-site in a different setting to direct workers and report to the management about the status of different projects. These engineers are required to resolve malfunctions or other crises such as construction or machinery problems while overseeing repairs and technical improvements. They must conduct research and studies on-site and installing new systems and technology to ensure smooth operations of machinery. Field engineers must also communicate with clients to discuss and determine the needs and explain complex issues of projects.
Civil engineering designers and project field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Civil Engineering Designer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $57,842 | $71,292 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $82,000 | Between $56,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oklahoma |
| Best paying company | Meta | OHL USA |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between a civil engineering designer and a project field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Civil Engineering Designer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| 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 project field engineers' demographics:
| Civil Engineering Designer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| 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, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |