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The differences between pharmaceutical engineers and research engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pharmaceutical engineer, becoming a research engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, which is higher than the $84,592 average annual salary of a pharmaceutical engineer.
The top three skills for a pharmaceutical engineer include PLC, process improvement and FDA. The most important skills for a research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Pharmaceutical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,592 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $40.67 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 38,658 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Pharmaceutical engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pharmaceutical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,592 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $121,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Foster City, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Gilead Sciences | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a pharmaceutical engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Pharmaceutical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between pharmaceutical engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Pharmaceutical Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 66.7% Female, 33.3% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 10.5% White, 73.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |