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The differences between engineering trainees and professional 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 professional engineer. Additionally, a professional engineer has an average salary of $86,348, 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 professional engineer are civil engineering, project management, and PE.
| Engineering Trainee | Professional Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $60,235 | $86,348 |
| Hourly rate | $28.96 | $41.51 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 79,966 | 74,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 professional engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and structures through different principles. Although their duties will vary upon their industry of employment, it typically includes performing site assessments and examinations, studying the purpose and goals of the project, developing plans and guidelines, monitoring the progress of operations, and resolving issues and concerns promptly and efficiently. They may work together with architects and senior engineers, liaise with clients or contractors, and perform regular site inspections. Furthermore, a professional engineer must implement safety protocols and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Engineering trainees and professional engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Trainee | Professional Engineer | |
| Average salary | $60,235 | $86,348 |
| Salary range | Between $43,000 And $82,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livingston, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Crown Holdings | Bayer |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Health Care |
There are a few differences between an engineering trainee and a professional engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Trainee | Professional Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 professional engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Trainee | Professional Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |