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The differences between failure analysis engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a failure analysis engineer, becoming a project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a failure analysis engineer has an average salary of $91,071, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a failure analysis engineer include corrective action, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,071 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $43.78 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 43,275 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A failure analysis engineer is responsible for conducting quality control checks on operational business processes, identifying inconsistencies and errors, and writing recommendations to address failures and increase efficiency. Failure analysis engineers analyze incident reports of operational issues, assisting the technology team in designing high-performing software applications and network systems to support business functions and requirements. They also support the end-users in resolving issues, writing resolution, and creating instructional manuals for reference. A failure analysis engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as intensive knowledge of engineering products and services.
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Failure analysis engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,071 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $124,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a failure analysis engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between failure analysis engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Failure Analysis Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |