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The differences between graduate assistants and graduate engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a graduate engineer has an average salary of $70,395, which is higher than the $31,704 average annual salary of a graduate assistant.
The top three skills for a graduate assistant include computer lab, undergraduate courses and research projects. The most important skills for a graduate engineer are civil 3d, cost estimates, and project management.
| Graduate Assistant | Graduate Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $31,704 | $70,395 |
| Hourly rate | $15.24 | $33.84 |
| Growth rate | 20% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 3,026 | 98,584 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Graduate assistants are graduate or postgraduate students in a university who work part-time for a researcher, professor, or department in the university. They do a variety of tasks that would help expose them more to the field they are doing their studies in. Graduate assistants help researchers by conducting interviews, testing research tools, encoding and analyzing data, creating presentation materials, and managing the research schedule. They help professors in preparing for lessons, creating and updating presentation materials, and even trying their hand in teaching the professor's students. They help university departments in administrative, clerical, research, and any other task that may be needed.
A graduate engineer can work in different engineering subspecialties, such as mechanical, civil, chemical, aerospace, and electrical. Most graduate engineers work on projects while under the supervision and directives of a supervisor or senior engineer. Their duties usually involve identifying and understanding project requirements, conducting research and assessments, completing surveys, and preparing models using different tools and software. Additionally, a graduate engineer can also create designs and prototypes according to project requirements and guidelines, producing regular progress reports for supervisors.
Graduate assistants and graduate engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Assistant | Graduate Engineer | |
| Average salary | $31,704 | $70,395 |
| Salary range | Between $11,000 And $85,000 | Between $55,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | Boston, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Sotheby's Institute of Art | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Education | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a graduate assistant and a graduate engineer in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Assistant | Graduate Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Psychology | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between graduate assistants' and graduate engineers' demographics:
| Graduate Assistant | Graduate Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 42.9% Female, 57.1% | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 24.9% White, 57.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |