Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between designs, development and general contractors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a design, development, becoming a general contractor takes usually requires 6-8 years. Additionally, a design, development has an average salary of $93,226, which is higher than the $66,602 average annual salary of a general contractor.
The top three skills for a design, development include web application, javascript and CSS. The most important skills for a general contractor are plumbing, safety regulations, and contract negotiations.
| Design, Development | General Contractor | |
| Yearly salary | $93,226 | $66,602 |
| Hourly rate | $44.82 | $32.02 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 280,910 | 66,218 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 8 |
Design development engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for developing a detailed design and engineering document for a construction project. These engineers are required to review engineering drawings from vendors and recommend changes when necessary, as well as the bill of materials. They must assist drafters and engineering designers in developing engineering design and construction by using computer-assisted design equipment and software. Design development engineers should also participate in activities related to quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC).
The job of general contractors is to oversee the day-to-day operations of projects in the organization. General contractors are considered seasoned experts when it comes to home improvement. They provide the material, equipment, labor, and services for a construction project. Often, they hire specialized subcontractors who will be working on some part of the construction work. They should have attained a bachelor's or associate's degree in construction management. Their experience in the industry is highly coveted.
Designs, development and general contractors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design, Development | General Contractor | |
| Average salary | $93,226 | $66,602 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $128,000 | Between $41,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Urban Honolulu, HI | - |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | - |
| Best paying company | Apple | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between a design, development and a general contractor in terms of educational background:
| Design, Development | General Contractor | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between designs, development' and general contractors' demographics:
| Design, Development | General Contractor | |
| Average age | 39 | 46 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.5% Female, 27.5% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 71.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 4% |