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The differences between engineering managers and engineering directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both an engineering manager and an engineering director. Additionally, an engineering director has an average salary of $162,252, which is higher than the $139,328 average annual salary of an engineering manager.
The top three skills for an engineering manager include java, project management and continuous improvement. The most important skills for an engineering director are java, architecture, and infrastructure.
| Engineering Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Yearly salary | $139,328 | $162,252 |
| Hourly rate | $66.98 | $78.01 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 67,124 | 63,868 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An engineering manager is responsible for managing the overall concept of engineering and construction projects, ensuring that the plan meets the budget goals and the client's specifications. Engineering managers approve designs, plan strategic procedures to follow the project's timetable, analyze current market trends, hire the best and efficient contractors, and coordinate with the clients for any changes and adjustments as needed. An engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of engineering disciplines, as well as leadership and communication skills, monitoring the team's performance throughout the project.
An engineering director or director of engineering is an individual who manages a team of engineering managers and coordinates all the engineering activities within the organization. Engineering directors work closely with the organization's executives to develop new strategies to reduce unnecessary costs and time to complete their projects. They must understand and interpret complex sets of data such as profits, losses, or value of liabilities to identify problems and come up with solutions. Engineering directors must also ensure that safety protocols are implemented in the workforce.
Engineering managers and engineering directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Average salary | $139,328 | $162,252 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $195,000 | Between $109,000 And $239,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Mixpanel | Brookfield Properties |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering manager and an engineering director in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between engineering managers' and engineering directors' demographics:
| Engineering Manager | Engineering Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.2% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 13.1% White, 69.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |