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The differences between highway engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a highway engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $71,538 average annual salary of a highway engineer.
The top three skills for a highway engineer include autocad, highway design and civil 3d. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Highway Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,538 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $34.39 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 24,499 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Highway Engineers are responsible for the design and implementation of road network projects. They are involved in road network maintenance, local road schemes designing, supervising construction teams, preparing tender contract documents, and administering risk assessments. Other duties include preparing construction cost estimates and ensuring health and safety directives are adhered to and prepare the project budget. Highway engineers also work with multi-stakeholders such as transport specialists, the public, and the client to deliver within the timeline.
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.
Highway engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Highway Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,538 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $92,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between a highway engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Highway Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between highway engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Highway Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 16.6% White, 64.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 5% | 5% |