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The differences between completion engineers and development 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 completion engineer, becoming a development engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a completion engineer has an average salary of $156,228, which is higher than the $93,206 average annual salary of a development engineer.
The top three skills for a completion engineer include rig, AFE and cost estimates. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Completion Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $156,228 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $75.11 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 11,512 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Completion Engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for designing and monitoring well completions and ensuring the safety of drilling completion operations. These engineers must communicate instructions to the drilling contractors for all operations while emphasizing safety, well control, and LEAN. They are required to conduct meetings on multiple onsite safety and analysis of hazardous materials to improve workplace safety. Completion Engineers must also work closely with the senior management to establish standard operating procedures that follow the industry and government regulations.
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Completion engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Completion Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $156,228 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $107,000 And $227,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Anchorage, AK | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Washington |
| Best paying company | Devon Energy | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Technology |
There are a few differences between a completion engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Completion Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Petroleum Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between completion engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Completion Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 17.1% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |