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The differences between lead operations engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a lead operations engineer, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead operations engineer has an average salary of $104,981, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a lead operations engineer include preventative maintenance, HVAC and plumbing. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Lead Operations Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,981 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $50.47 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 84,056 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A lead Operation Engineer is the person who supervises plant operations. They identify and resolves operation problems by studying the performance and function of a system. They monitor and evaluate workers under their department. They also practice the objectives of a project, including safety, the convenience of operation, efficiency, quality, and the cost and time of operations. Other duties include improving the quality of operations, designs and contributing to the system's changes and modification.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Lead operations engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Operations Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,981 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $145,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Real Estate | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a lead operations engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Operations Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead operations engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Lead Operations Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.8% Female, 7.2% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 8.7% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |