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The differences between operations 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 an operations engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, an operations engineer has an average salary of $91,522, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for an operations engineer include python, cloud and AWS. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Operations Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,522 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $44.00 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 155,188 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An operations engineer is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that the operations of a company are working properly in industries such as manufacturing or shipping. Operations engineers are required to handle repairs or upgrades to the company's machinery and coordinate with department heads to assist in fine-tuning their operations system. When they have upgraded their system, operations engineers should conduct training with managers as well as employees and other workers. They are also required to examine machinery for defects and communicate maintenance schedules with department heads.
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.
Operations engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,522 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Energy |
There are a few differences between an operations engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Operations Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between operations engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Operations Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 72.1% 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% |