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The differences between engineering interns and junior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become an engineering internship, becoming a junior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a junior engineer has an average salary of $70,653, which is higher than the $41,918 average annual salary of an engineering internship.
The top three skills for an engineering internship include engineering intern, python and C++. The most important skills for a junior engineer are control systems, java, and C++.
| Engineering Internship | Junior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $41,918 | $70,653 |
| Hourly rate | $20.15 | $33.97 |
| Growth rate | - | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 97,722 | 107,703 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
An engineering intern is responsible for assisting the overall project development under the supervision of a head engineer. Engineering interns' duties vary in every industry but generally include generating reports, analyzing budget goals and cost estimates, reaching out to clients for important updates, and providing project improvement recommendations. Engineering interns must have strong attention to detail, as well as excellent critical-thinking and project management skills. An engineering intern should be able to communicate effectively and use their logical judgments, especially when dealing with adjustments and meeting deadlines.
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
Engineering interns and junior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Internship | Junior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $41,918 | $70,653 |
| Salary range | Between $27,000 And $63,000 | Between $54,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Cisco | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering internship and a junior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Internship | Junior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between engineering interns' and junior engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Internship | Junior Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |