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The differences between outside plant engineers and engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an outside plant 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 $85,603 average annual salary of an outside plant engineer.
The top three skills for an outside plant engineer include CAD, outside plant and OSP. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Outside Plant Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,603 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $41.16 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 34,742 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
The job of an outside plant engineer revolves around design, constructing, and maintaining plant infrastructure, engineering, and conducting route analysis of aerial and underground fiber-optic installations. Typical day-to-day duties include assisting clients in resolving issues when they arise, developing engineering plans, schedules, and costs relevant to the projects, and providing guidance on telecommunication issues. As an outside plant engineer, you need to ensure the proper installation of the infrastructure and the availability of fiber cable storage, access, and termination equipment.
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.
Outside plant engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Outside Plant Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,603 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $117,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | - | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | - | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | - | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an outside plant engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Outside Plant Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between outside plant engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Outside Plant Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 6% | 5% |