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The differences between energy engineers and energy efficiency engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an energy engineer and an energy efficiency engineer. Additionally, an energy efficiency engineer has an average salary of $87,691, which is higher than the $86,305 average annual salary of an energy engineer.
The top three skills for an energy engineer include HVAC, renewable energy and sustainability. The most important skills for an energy efficiency engineer are HVAC, energy efficiency, and data analysis.
| Energy Engineer | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,305 | $87,691 |
| Hourly rate | $41.49 | $42.16 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 16,765 | 4,182 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An energy engineer is an individual who is involved with the production of energy using natural resources as well as renewable or sustainable sources of energy. Energy engineers are required to research new methods and techniques to extract energy from scarce natural resources. They must design and test machinery used in extracting energy and develop ways of improving the existing processes. Energy engineers are also required to have an excellent understanding of statutory and regulatory requirements about energy use and sustainability concerns.
Energy Efficiency Engineer conducts audits to inspect, survey, model, and analyze the energy flows in existing buildings, whether commercial, residential, or industrial. These engineers apply engineering principles to develop energy distribution systems that operate efficiently. They analyze energy and make recommendations to reduce energy usage efficiently. An energy efficiency engineer must understand energy use, the ability to collect data and analyze it, develop business cases for energy efficiency projects, the ability to integrate energy, have good communication, and a sense of project planning and management.
Energy engineers and energy efficiency engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Energy Engineer | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,305 | $87,691 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $120,000 | Between $61,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Watertown Town, MA |
| Highest paying state | Arizona | Massachusetts |
| Best paying company | Amazon | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Utilities |
There are a few differences between an energy engineer and an energy efficiency engineer in terms of educational background:
| Energy Engineer | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Cornell University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between energy engineers' and energy efficiency engineers' demographics:
| Energy Engineer | Energy Efficiency Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.7% Asian, 19.7% White, 60.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 18.8% White, 61.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |