Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between consulting 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 consulting engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a consulting engineer has an average salary of $97,746, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a consulting engineer include java, C # and linux. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Consulting Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,746 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $46.99 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 125,600 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A consulting engineer is an individual who aids in the planning, designing, and construction of a project from the public and private clients. Consulting engineers are required to advise on the best component suitable according to the needs of their clients. They can manage the project by coordinating with designers, architects, and relevant persons who have commissioned the project. They may incorporate green sustainable energy solutions based on the demands of their clients. Consulting engineers must also conduct a feasibility study and prepare the estimated cost for the project.
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.
Consulting engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consulting Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,746 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $131,000 | 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 | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a consulting engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Consulting Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between consulting engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Consulting Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 13.8% White, 69.0% 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% |