How To Become A Junior Project Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a junior project engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Karen Panetta Ph.D.,

Brian Denton Ph.D.

Junior project engineers are responsible for carrying out technical studies on projects. They ensure the diffusion of useful information to all those involved in the project and prepare all the necessary documentation required in the implementation of the contract. They also help to manage the financial aspects of the project by participating in and chairing meetings with customers and the people involved in the project. Junior project engineers earn a median sum of $65,000 annually or $31 per hour.

Junior project engineers usually work under the supervision of project engineers to prepare, schedule, and monitor the assigned engineering projects. They interact daily with the clients to interpret their needs and requirements and represent them in the field. They also cooperate and communicate effectively with project managers and other project participants to provide assistance and technical support.

Junior project engineers typically hold a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering, or other related fields. They are expected to have excellent knowledge of design and visualization software with the ability to work with multiple discipline projects.

What general advice would you give to a junior project engineer?

Karen Panetta Ph.D.

Dean of Graduate Education, School of Engineering, Tufts University

This is a different generation of graduates, and many employers are going to want to know how you dealt with and responded to the COVID crisis. The response to this tells so much about an individual's ability to deal with and overcome adversity. They seek innovative, upbeat, and definite answers that show that students are prepared for anything and will be resourceful.

They are also looking to see what personal actions and community involvement students participated in. For instance, online tutoring for kids whose parents needed help homeschooling their kids while they worked, or using their engineering skills to 3D print PPE for local nursing homes and other at-risk populations.

Every engineering student comes out with technical skills, but the ones that used them, and showed their compassion for humanity, will be the ones that companies will want to hire.

ScoreJunior Project EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,878

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.30%

Asian 16.81%

Black or African American 3.66%

Hispanic or Latino 10.79%

Unknown 4.60%

White 63.84%

Gender

female 19.73%

male 80.27%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a junior project engineer

Explore junior project engineer education requirements

Most common junior project engineer degrees

Bachelor's

80.3 %

Master's

8.6 %

Associate

7.6 %

Start to develop specific junior project engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	14.94%
Project Management	14.87%
PowerPoint	13.21%
Shop Drawings	8.16%
BOM	7.81%

Complete relevant junior project engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New junior project engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a junior project engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real junior project engineer resumes.

Research junior project engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage and responsible for Bluetooth BQB test and RF problem solving.
Lead labeling processes for medical devices for alignment with compliance FDA regulations along with company standards and guidelines.
Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
Post RFI's and update drawings.

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