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The differences between procurement engineers and design 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 procurement engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, which is higher than the $75,682 average annual salary of a procurement engineer.
The top three skills for a procurement engineer include project management, cost reduction and supplier quality. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Procurement Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,682 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $36.39 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 28,571 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| 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.
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.
Procurement engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Procurement Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,682 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $105,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a procurement engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Procurement Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between procurement engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Procurement Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.1% Female, 16.9% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 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 | 4% | 5% |