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The differences between drainage engineers and professional 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 professional engineer. Additionally, a professional engineer has an average salary of $86,348, which is higher than the $80,313 average annual salary of a drainage engineer.
The top three skills for a drainage engineer include hec ras, HEC-RAS and autocad. The most important skills for a professional engineer are civil engineering, project management, and PE.
| Drainage Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,313 | $86,348 |
| Hourly rate | $38.61 | $41.51 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 16,044 | 74,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 professional engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and structures through different principles. Although their duties will vary upon their industry of employment, it typically includes performing site assessments and examinations, studying the purpose and goals of the project, developing plans and guidelines, monitoring the progress of operations, and resolving issues and concerns promptly and efficiently. They may work together with architects and senior engineers, liaise with clients or contractors, and perform regular site inspections. Furthermore, a professional engineer must implement safety protocols and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Drainage engineers and professional engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Drainage Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,313 | $86,348 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $106,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Englewood, CO | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Bayer |
| Best paying industry | - | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a drainage engineer and a professional engineer in terms of educational background:
| Drainage Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between drainage engineers' and professional engineers' demographics:
| Drainage Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |