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The differences between drainage engineers and geotechnical 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 drainage engineer and a geotechnical engineer. Additionally, a drainage engineer has an average salary of $80,313, which is higher than the $74,831 average annual salary of a geotechnical engineer.
The top three skills for a drainage engineer include hec ras, HEC-RAS and autocad. The most important skills for a geotechnical engineer are geotechnical, civil engineering, and project management.
| Drainage Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,313 | $74,831 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $35.98 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 16,044 | 15,062 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A drainage engineer is primarily responsible for the construction of drainage systems and sewage. They are involved in the planning and designing of drainage systems, allocating the budget for its creation, and, together with the construction team, build the design on the location specified. They oversee the construction, making sure all instructions are followed. They are also responsible for maintaining the system, repairing if there is damage. They also check for any improvements in the market and apply them to the constructed drainage system.
A Geotechnical Engineer plans and designs the structures for buildings, roads, embankments, canals, and other construction projects. They provide advice to civil and structural engineers, architects, and construction personnel.
Drainage engineers and geotechnical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drainage Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,313 | $74,831 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $56,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Englewood, CO | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Parsons | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a drainage engineer and a geotechnical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Drainage Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between drainage engineers' and geotechnical engineers' demographics:
| Drainage Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |