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The differences between engineering project specialists and project engineering managers 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 project specialist and a project engineering manager. Additionally, a project engineering manager has an average salary of $110,534, which is higher than the $107,780 average annual salary of an engineering project specialist.
The top three skills for an engineering project specialist include project management, program management and BOM. The most important skills for a project engineering manager are project management, project scope, and engineering design.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $107,780 | $110,534 |
| Hourly rate | $51.82 | $53.14 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,773 | 171,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
The primary role of an engineering project specialist is overseeing the project process until its completion. They are the ones who are in constant communication with the contractors, suppliers, and stakeholders, from accounting to inventory to deliveries and even to hiring new staff to increase the workforce, so that a project will be completed on time, with no missing parts, and with no fail. If a problem arises, engineering project specialists can troubleshoot and find a timely solution.
A project engineering manager's job is to oversee engineering projects in diverse industries, including transportation, software development, and utility industries. They are responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of intricate designs and evaluating and approving changes that may affect the scope, budget, and completion of a project. They also perform other essential tasks, including monitoring the project's progress and performance, developing maintenance plans, and preparing expenditure reports. Project engineering managers are also expected to resolve any issues that may arise from operations.
Engineering project specialists and project engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $107,780 | $110,534 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $164,000 | Between $79,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering project specialist and a project engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between engineering project specialists' and project engineering managers' demographics:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 11.9% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |