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The differences between commissioning engineers and design 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 commissioning engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a commissioning engineer has an average salary of $97,374, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a commissioning engineer include HVAC, test procedures and MEP. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Commissioning Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,374 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $46.81 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 90,740 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A commissioning engineer is responsible for supporting engineering and technical projects by analyzing designs and identifying resources within budget limitations and timetables. Commissioning engineers monitor the project cycle and help the team on writing down progress observations, performing diagnostic tests, creating instructional manuals and resolutions, and ensuring healthy and productive business relationships with clients. They also coordinate with the team to suggest adjustment plans and implementing essential guidelines that would fit the market standards to attract potential clients for future profitability.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Commissioning engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Commissioning Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,374 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $144,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a commissioning engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Commissioning Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between commissioning engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Commissioning Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.3% Asian, 12.3% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |