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The differences between communications engineers and cost 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 communications engineer and a cost engineer. Additionally, a cost engineer has an average salary of $87,901, which is higher than the $83,540 average annual salary of a communications engineer.
The top three skills for a communications engineer include RF, unified communications and unity. The most important skills for a cost engineer are project management, cost analysis, and construction management.
| Communications Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,540 | $87,901 |
| Hourly rate | $40.16 | $42.26 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 71,942 | 65,278 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The duties of a communications engineer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around designing and developing new systems to optimize operations, performing research and assessments to identify company needs, determining the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and providing solutions on issues and concerns. Furthermore, as a communications engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A cost engineer is responsible for projecting cost and expenses reports for the production process, identify and mitigate risks, and develop strategic techniques to reduce the excessive financial loss for project buildings. Cost engineers conduct data and statistical analysis to measure time deliverables and quality checks to ensure profitability and adherence to business objectives. They research and negotiate materials from trusted suppliers and vendors with high-quality products that would meet construction designs and client specifications.
Communications engineers and cost engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,540 | $87,901 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $111,000 | Between $64,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Energy |
There are a few differences between a communications engineer and a cost engineer in terms of educational background:
| Communications Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between communications engineers' and cost engineers' demographics:
| Communications Engineer | Cost Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 74.1% Female, 25.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |