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The differences between procurement engineers and contracts administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a procurement engineer, becoming a contracts administrator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a procurement engineer has an average salary of $75,682, which is higher than the $52,876 average annual salary of a contracts administrator.
The top three skills for a procurement engineer include project management, cost reduction and supplier quality. The most important skills for a contracts administrator are contract administration, customer service, and contract management.
| Procurement Engineer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $75,682 | $52,876 |
| Hourly rate | $36.39 | $25.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 28,571 | 58,038 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Procurement engineers are professionals who are responsible for procuring technical goods and services that are used in the industrial operation of an organization. These engineers must evaluate all new and existing suppliers and negotiate purchase agreements to ensure that the purchased goods and services are delivered as promised. They must ensure that all the machines and equipment are following the quality and performance standards of the facility. Procurement engineers must also choose appropriate suppliers by analyzing and comparing their products and prices.
Contract administrators create and manage legal contracts from which the company participates. They ensure that all entities to the contract will accomplish their obligations, as indicated in the contract. They usually work for larger organizations that might be involved with different or highly complex contracts. These organizations spread across a range of industries, including government, construction, and healthcare. Their responsibilities include addressing any conflicts of questions regarding the contract, analyzing the possible risks posed by contracts, and working alongside the legal and procurement teams.
Procurement engineers and contracts administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Engineer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Average salary | $75,682 | $52,876 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $105,000 | Between $35,000 And $78,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Apple | Ngam Advisors, L.P. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a procurement engineer and a contracts administrator in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Engineer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between procurement engineers' and contracts administrators' demographics:
| Procurement Engineer | Contracts Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 32.2% Female, 67.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.1% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 7.7% White, 65.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 7% |