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The differences between electrical engineers lead and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an electrical engineer lead, becoming a project lead engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an electrical engineer lead has an average salary of $111,251, which is higher than the $106,946 average annual salary of a project lead engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical engineer lead include electrical engineering, autocad and engineering design. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,251 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $53.49 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 82,196 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
An electrical engineer lead is an engineering professional who works with clients and internal engineers to establish project requirements and work on multiple electrical projects. Electrical engineer leads provide the cost estimation of electrical projects and prepare budget proposals as well as assign personnel with the capabilities required to complete the assigned tasks. They are required to review the calculation methods to ensure that they comply with all regulatory and project requirements. Electrical engineer leads must also accurately check the electrical design calculations for electrical loads, short circuit, and voltage drop using standard electrical engineering software.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Electrical engineers lead and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,251 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $148,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineer lead and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between electrical engineers lead' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 4% |