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The differences between commercial project managers and project 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 commercial project manager, becoming a project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a commercial project manager has an average salary of $84,909, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a commercial project manager include project management, customer service and roofing. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Commercial Project Manager | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,909 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $40.82 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 150,062 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
A commercial project manager is responsible for monitoring the development of business projects across the company within various industries. Commercial project managers strategize on the procedures for the project deliverables, including the resources, budget allocation, and timetables. They delegate tasks among the team members and conduct regular brainstorming sessions for progress updates and ways to enhance the existing project outline. A commercial project manager must have excellent communication and leadership skills, especially in resolving failure points within the project system and adjust plans immediately as needed to meet goals and objectives.
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Commercial project managers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commercial Project Manager | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,909 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $115,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | ONE Gas | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a commercial project manager and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Commercial Project Manager | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between commercial project managers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Commercial Project Manager | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 46 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.2% Female, 20.8% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 2.9% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |