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The differences between junior project engineers and senior project 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 project engineer and a senior project engineer. Additionally, a senior project engineer has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $70,878 average annual salary of a junior project engineer.
The top three skills for a junior project engineer include autocad, project management and powerpoint. The most important skills for a senior project engineer are project management, construction management, and CAD.
| Junior Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,878 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $34.08 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 43,889 | 146,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A junior project engineer supervises laborers' work and assists in the management of the site. They lead the team members in project development and ensure all jobs are done correctly and punctually. They report any problem on-site to their immediate supervisor for resolution. They also prepare any needed technical documents for the approval of a superior or senior engineer.
A senior project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.
Junior project engineers and senior project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,878 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $90,000 | Between $77,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Hayward, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Lockheed Martin | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a junior project engineer and a senior project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 80% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Columbia University in the City of New York | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between junior project engineers' and senior project engineers' demographics:
| Junior Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |