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The differences between infrastructure engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an infrastructure engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an infrastructure engineer has an average salary of $106,438, which is higher than the $92,077 average annual salary of an engineer.
The top three skills for an infrastructure engineer include python, cloud and linux. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,438 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $51.17 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 91,845 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
As an infrastructure engineer, they're responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the IT infrastructure using the newest technology and ensure all the systems within an organization function seamlessly. They ensure all the IT systems are updated to support the business to function effectively. It is also their job to maintain internet connections, cabling, virtualization platforms, and storage area networks. Moreover, they oversee the IT infrastructure engineer system administration middleware application servers, like Oracle Weblogic server, IBM WebSphere server, and automated workflow tools.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Infrastructure engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Infrastructure Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,438 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $148,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an infrastructure engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between infrastructure engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Infrastructure Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.2% Female, 7.8% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |