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The differences between laboratory engineers and contracting 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 laboratory engineer and a contracting engineer. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $92,242 average annual salary of a laboratory engineer.
The top three skills for a laboratory engineer include C++, lab environment and UL. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Laboratory Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,242 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $44.35 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 121,212 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A laboratory engineer specializes in designing and developing tools and machinery for laboratory operations, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include installing and maintaining equipment, performing extensive research and analysis, coordinating with other experts, and identifying areas needing improvement, implementing solutions as required. They must also conduct regular maintenance checks on systems, performing corrective measures promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, as a laboratory engineer, it is essential to provide technical support while implementing the facility's policies and regulations.
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
Laboratory engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,242 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $135,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Meta | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a laboratory engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between laboratory engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Laboratory Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 14.6% White, 68.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |