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The differences between engineering trainees and junior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an engineering trainee and a junior engineer. Additionally, a junior engineer has an average salary of $70,653, which is higher than the $60,235 average annual salary of an engineering trainee.
The top three skills for an engineering trainee include fire protection, technical support and R. The most important skills for a junior engineer are control systems, java, and C++.
| Engineering Trainee | Junior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,235 | $70,653 |
| Hourly rate | $28.96 | $33.97 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 79,966 | 107,703 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research. They also identify cost-efficient materials and resources that meet quality standards and client specifications. An engineering trainee must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports, attending meetings, and ensuring that all reports are submitted for management's reviews, such as contracts from suppliers and vendors.
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
Engineering trainees and junior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Trainee | Junior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $60,235 | $70,653 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $82,000 | Between $54,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livingston, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Crown Holdings | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an engineering trainee and a junior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Trainee | Junior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | 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 trainees' and junior engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Trainee | Junior Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 25.1% White, 57.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |