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Contract designer vs project engineer

The differences between contract designers and project 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 contract designer and a project engineer. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $58,458 average annual salary of a contract designer.

The top three skills for a contract designer include assembly drawings, sketch and web banners. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.

Contract designer vs project engineer overview

Contract DesignerProject Engineer
Yearly salary$58,458$75,050
Hourly rate$28.10$36.08
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs51,980176,689
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a contract designer do?

The primary duty of a Contract Designer is to deliver creative strategies and design concepts that meet the objectives of the company's project. They work with members of the sales team and/or marketing designers.

What does a project engineer do?

A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.

Contract designer vs project engineer salary

Contract designers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Contract DesignerProject Engineer
Average salary$58,458$75,050
Salary rangeBetween $39,000 And $86,000Between $55,000 And $100,000
Highest paying City-Richmond, CA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-Apple
Best paying industry-Energy

Differences between contract designer and project engineer education

There are a few differences between a contract designer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:

Contract DesignerProject Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 65%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorGraphic DesignMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeGeorgia Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Contract designer vs project engineer demographics

Here are the differences between contract designers' and project engineers' demographics:

Contract DesignerProject Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 66.6% Female, 33.4%Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between contract designer and project engineer duties and responsibilities

Contract designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage various PCB designs utilizing state of the art DFM techniques and comply with company standards.
  • Design tools ProE Creo and Windchill.
  • Hire to redesign a large in house application with the use of CSS and HTML.
  • Web content, WordPress, product design, brand design, HTML5, CSS
  • Design extrusion blow molds and tooling that meet customer requirements.
  • Function as team member to evaluate and document products for ISO certification.
  • Show more

Project engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage TCP/IP LAN environment for the time during implementation.
  • Support and manage the development of a CNC base electron beam drill.
  • Lead a MGPP six sigma project to improve the accuracy of 3D clutch cooling analysis
  • Manage the BHP enterprise wide migration from e-rooms to SharePoint for document management and team collaboration.
  • Manage the installation of a CNC laser cutting system with full responsibility for all aspects of the project.
  • Coordinate and manage activities of the 787-9 IPT's to complete the specific aircraft side of the test cells.
  • Show more

Contract designer vs project engineer skills

Common contract designer skills
  • Assembly Drawings, 12%
  • Sketch, 9%
  • Web Banners, 5%
  • Auto CAD, 5%
  • Graphic Design, 5%
  • Design Concepts, 4%
Common project engineer skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Autocad, 7%
  • Construction Management, 6%
  • CAD, 4%
  • UL, 4%
  • Cost Estimates, 3%

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