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The differences between lead field engineers and drilling fluids 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 fluids engineer. Additionally, a drilling fluids engineer has an average salary of $89,974, 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 fluids engineer are drilling fluid, fluid systems, and polymer.
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,264 | $89,974 |
| Hourly rate | $34.74 | $43.26 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 63,711 | 5,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
Together with a drilling rig engineer, a drilling fluids engineer helps with the pumping of fluids, testing liquids for unwanted particles. They also are involved in mixing fluids needed to drill oil or gas. Another task is providing reports for fluid properties acquired and giving recommendations. They keep a timely record of the performance of each staff member. If staffing is inadequate, they are also tasked to calculate funds for the drilling, allocating budget in both the procedures and miscellaneous expenses.
Lead field engineers and drilling fluids engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,264 | $89,974 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $98,000 | Between $52,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Houston, TX |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Apple | Koch Industries |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Energy |
There are a few differences between a lead field engineer and a drilling fluids engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lead field engineers' and drilling fluids engineers' demographics:
| Lead Field Engineer | Drilling Fluids Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 95.0% Female, 5.0% |
| 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, 4.3% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 17.0% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |