Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between lead field engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a lead field engineer, becoming an engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an engineer has an average salary of $92,077, 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 an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Lead Field Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,264 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $34.74 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 8% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 63,711 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
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.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Lead field engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Field Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,264 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $98,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | Las Vegas, NV | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Apple | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead field engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Field Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between lead field engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Lead Field Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.4% Female, 4.6% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |