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The differences between facility designers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a facility designer, becoming a chief engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $63,152 average annual salary of a facility designer.
The top three skills for a facility designer include revit, facilities design and space planning. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Facility Designer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,152 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $30.36 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 50,714 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A facility designer specializes in developing establishment plans according to project requirements. Although the extent of their responsibilities varies on every project, it usually includes meeting with clients to conceptualize facility plans, conducting research and analysis, visiting sites to perform measurements and assessments, utilizing special tools and software, and coordinating with engineers and clients. Moreover, a facility designer typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
Facility designers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Facility Designer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $63,152 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $85,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Walmart | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | Media | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a facility designer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Facility Designer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Interior Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between facility designers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Facility Designer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 38 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.9% Female, 31.1% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |