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The differences between piping engineers and staff 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 staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $107,432 average annual salary of a piping engineer.
The top three skills for a piping engineer include CAD, engineering design and API. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Piping Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,432 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $51.65 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 89,017 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Piping engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Piping Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,432 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $153,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Acme Cryogenics | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a piping engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Piping Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between piping engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Piping Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.2% Female, 9.8% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |