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The differences between junior engineers and graduate 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 junior engineer and a graduate engineer. Additionally, a junior engineer has an average salary of $70,653, which is higher than the $70,395 average annual salary of a graduate engineer.
The top three skills for a junior engineer include control systems, java and C++. The most important skills for a graduate engineer are civil 3d, cost estimates, and project management.
| Junior Engineer | Graduate Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,653 | $70,395 |
| Hourly rate | $33.97 | $33.84 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 107,703 | 98,584 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
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.
Junior engineers and graduate engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Engineer | Graduate Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,653 | $70,395 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $91,000 | Between $55,000 And $89,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Apple | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a junior engineer and a graduate engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Engineer | Graduate Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 83% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Johns Hopkins University |
Here are the differences between junior engineers' and graduate engineers' demographics:
| Junior Engineer | Graduate Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | Male, 77.3% Female, 22.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |