Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between laboratory engineers and 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 laboratory engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a laboratory engineer has an average salary of $92,242, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a laboratory engineer include C++, lab environment and UL. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Laboratory Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,242 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $44.35 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 121,212 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
Laboratory engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laboratory Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,242 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $135,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between a laboratory engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laboratory Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between laboratory engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Laboratory Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |