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Construction engineer vs architect

The differences between construction engineers and architects can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a construction engineer, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an architect has an average salary of $86,635, which is higher than the $74,680 average annual salary of a construction engineer.

The top three skills for a construction engineer include tractor trailer, construction sites and cranes. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.

Construction engineer vs architect overview

Construction EngineerArchitect
Yearly salary$74,680$86,635
Hourly rate$35.90$41.65
Growth rate7%3%
Number of jobs51,38094,621
Job satisfaction-3
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4145
Years of experience64

What does a construction engineer do?

A Construction Engineer designs, coordinates, and supervises projects within the construction industry. They conduct surveys, analyze results, and supervise projects from the cradle to the grave.

What does an architect do?

Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".

Construction engineer vs architect salary

Construction engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

Construction EngineerArchitect
Average salary$74,680$86,635
Salary rangeBetween $55,000 And $101,000Between $54,000 And $137,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkAlaska
Best paying companyMetaMeta
Best paying industryEnergyTechnology

Differences between construction engineer and architect education

There are a few differences between a construction engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:

Construction EngineerArchitect
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringArchitecture
Most common collegeNew York UniversityCornell University

Construction engineer vs architect demographics

Here are the differences between construction engineers' and architects' demographics:

Construction EngineerArchitect
Average age4145
Gender ratioMale, 90.7% Female, 9.3%Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage5%15%

Differences between construction engineer and architect duties and responsibilities

Construction engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage 3D BIM coordination, improving field production and reducing rework.
  • Manage all aspects of work packages which include subsea EPC's contractors (i.e.
  • Manage all trades installing formwork, concrete, interior finishes, built-up and rubber roofs, and EIFS.
  • Calculate sub-contractors weekly accomplish work for payroll.
  • Manage Geotechnical subcontractor daily testing logs and sampling activities.
  • Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
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Architect example responsibilities.

  • Manage Daimler resources for development of RFC programs
  • Manage overall testing activities withing the group including functinal, system and regression testing.
  • Manage the company website using HTML and CSS to produce an easily read website that customers can access more intuitively.
  • Manage GitLab and Jenkins deployment environment to support automate AWS- development software builds.
  • Lead re-architecture and implementation of cloud solution for enterprise auto-backup of individual computing devices.
  • Provide insight and manage all technology relate aspects with presentations and communications at Sr. management and CxO level.
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Construction engineer vs architect skills

Common construction engineer skills
  • Tractor Trailer, 18%
  • Construction Sites, 16%
  • Cranes, 15%
  • Bulldozers, 11%
  • Grade Stakes, 8%
  • Combat, 8%
Common architect skills
  • Cloud, 10%
  • Java, 8%
  • Infrastructure, 7%
  • Azure, 5%
  • AWS, 5%
  • Digital Transformation, 5%

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