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The differences between engineering project specialists and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an engineering project specialist, becoming a project lead engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an engineering project specialist has an average salary of $107,780, which is higher than the $106,946 average annual salary of a project lead engineer.
The top three skills for an engineering project specialist include project management, program management and BOM. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,780 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $51.82 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 64,773 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
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.
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.
Engineering project specialists and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,780 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $164,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an engineering project specialist and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between engineering project specialists' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Project Specialist | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 48 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| 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, 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 | 9% | 4% |