Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between fuel cell engineers and staff 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 fuel cell engineer, becoming a staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $92,756 average annual salary of a fuel cell engineer.
The top three skills for a fuel cell engineer include data analysis, FEA and labview. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Fuel Cell Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,756 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $44.59 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 25,365 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
A fuel cell engineer is tasked with the design, evaluation, or construction of components or systems that make up a fuel cell. They are also tasked with designing and implementing any programs that deal with fuel cell testing or development. They write technical reports related to any engineering project and collaborate with other engineers to plan fuel cell reduction. On special occasions, they give specifications for materials that make up the fuel cell.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Fuel cell engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fuel Cell Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,756 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $127,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | West Sacramento, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a fuel cell engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Fuel Cell Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between fuel cell engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Fuel Cell Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |