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The differences between clinical engineers and research engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a clinical engineer, becoming a research engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, which is higher than the $75,883 average annual salary of a clinical engineer.
The top three skills for a clinical engineer include patient care, medical devices and patients. The most important skills for a research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Clinical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,883 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $36.48 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 80,770 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A clinical engineer is responsible for designing and creating medical equipment and technology for medical procedures and examinations. Clinical engineers maintain and inspect the performance of machinery regularly to ensure the accuracy of results and prevent potential hazards. They also conduct quality control tests to locate system failures and perform immediate troubleshooting as necessary. A clinical engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills, especially in identifying the most needed equipment for treating and diagnosing patients.
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
Clinical engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Clinical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,883 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $102,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Regeneron | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a clinical engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Clinical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Biomedical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between clinical engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Clinical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.0% Asian, 14.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |