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The differences between lead field engineers and drilling engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-8 years to become both a lead field engineer and a drilling engineer. Additionally, a drilling engineer has an average salary of $101,225, which is higher than the $72,264 average annual salary of a lead field engineer.
The top three skills for a lead field engineer include project management, customer satisfaction and logistics. The most important skills for a drilling engineer are cost estimates, well design, and data analysis.
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,264 | $101,225 |
| Hourly rate | $34.74 | $48.67 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,711 | 25,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 8 |
A lead field engineer tests, commissions, programs, troubleshoot, repairs, retrofits, and installs voltage power system devices. A lead field engineer also tests, commissions, troubleshoot, repairs, erects, upgrades, and vacuum-fills various transformers. Besides testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, repairing, erecting, and upgrading various voltage ratings and switchgear, a lead field engineer also schedules and executes projects on-budget and within the agreed timeline. Moreover, a lead field engineer identifies and implements standardization and improvement processes and costs to improve cost productivity.
A drilling engineer specializes in planning and overseeing a gas and oil company's drilling operations. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis, coordinating with other experts and contractors, examining and evaluating the quality of drilling sites, and liaising with external parties. Furthermore, as a drilling engineer, it is essential to monitor the progress of operations and lead the workforce to reach goals, all while implementing the company's policies and safety regulations to maintain a safe and productive work environment.
Lead field engineers and drilling engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,264 | $101,225 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $98,000 | Between $65,000 And $155,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Apple | Devon Energy |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a lead field engineer and a drilling engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 80% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Petroleum Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead field engineers' and drilling engineers' demographics:
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.2% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |