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The differences between industrial process engineers and project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an industrial process engineer, becoming a project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $73,891 average annual salary of an industrial process engineer.
The top three skills for an industrial process engineer include process design, sigma and autocad. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Industrial Process Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,891 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $35.52 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 59,144 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
An industrial process Engineer develops, installs, and monitors the processes and pieces of equipment that transform raw materials into finished products. Besides researching and developing new equipment, industrial process engineers also monitor, test, and maintain equipment pieces in their working states. They complete documentation to indicate and ensure everything runs as per the highlighted protocols and regulations. These professionals ensure high productivity rates at all times by supervising industrial processes and working. Also, they update the industrial management and senior colleagues with data and reports.
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.
Industrial process engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Industrial Process Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,891 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $94,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between an industrial process engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Industrial Process Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Industrial Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between industrial process engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Industrial Process Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 13.8% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 4% | 5% |