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The differences between hydraulic engineers and chief 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 hydraulic engineer and a chief engineer. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $84,440 average annual salary of a hydraulic engineer.
The top three skills for a hydraulic engineer include hec ras, civil engineering and HEC-RAS. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Hydraulic Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,440 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $40.60 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 91,749 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Hydraulics engineers are engineering professionals who design projects that are related to the movement and control of fluids. These engineers must perform many studies to understand water systems and design dams, drainage systems, and levees for the local government. They are required to participate in the water resources and flood control planning by creating a deep foundation and flood control structure designs. Hydraulics must also communicate with clients and governing bodies to address their concerns about stormwater and erosion.
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
Hydraulic engineers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hydraulic Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,440 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $118,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Phillips 66 | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a hydraulic engineer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hydraulic Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between hydraulic engineers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Hydraulic Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.6% Female, 15.4% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.9% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |