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The differences between piping engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a piping engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a piping engineer has an average salary of $107,432, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a piping engineer include CAD, engineering design and API. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Piping Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,432 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $51.65 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 89,017 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Piping engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for the creation of piping systems that transport materials such as oil, gas, water, and waste from one location to another. These engineers are required to draw the blueprints for the system and then assist in selecting materials that are used to build the pipes and other piping components. They must travel to the installation site of the piping system and conduct surveys on the land for any irregularities. Piping engineers must also participate in cost management meetings with decision-makers to ensure proper budget allocation for the project.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Piping engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Piping Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,432 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $153,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Acme Cryogenics | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a piping engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Piping Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between piping engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Piping Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |