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The differences between graduate engineers and requirements engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a graduate engineer, becoming a requirements engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a requirements engineer has an average salary of $87,170, which is higher than the $70,395 average annual salary of a graduate engineer.
The top three skills for a graduate engineer include civil 3d, cost estimates and project management. The most important skills for a requirements engineer are java, software development, and powerpoint.
| Graduate Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,395 | $87,170 |
| Hourly rate | $33.84 | $41.91 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 98,584 | 166,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
Requirements engineers are responsible for the analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements regarding new software projects. They identify and understand the customer's project-specific demands and document them in a clear and binding way. Their duties and responsibilities also include preparing well-written and detailed documentation of the project and ensuring the project is designed and built within the legal parameters.
Graduate engineers and requirements engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Graduate Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,395 | $87,170 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $89,000 | Between $62,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Microsoft | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a graduate engineer and a requirements engineer in terms of educational background:
| Graduate Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 83% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Johns Hopkins University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between graduate engineers' and requirements engineers' demographics:
| Graduate Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |