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The differences between professional engineers and civil designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a professional engineer and a civil designer. Additionally, a professional engineer has an average salary of $86,348, which is higher than the $58,421 average annual salary of a civil designer.
The top three skills for a professional engineer include civil engineering, project management and PE. The most important skills for a civil designer are civil 3d, autocad, and civil engineering.
| Professional Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,348 | $58,421 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $28.09 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 74,009 | 57,036 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A professional engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and structures through different principles. Although their duties will vary upon their industry of employment, it typically includes performing site assessments and examinations, studying the purpose and goals of the project, developing plans and guidelines, monitoring the progress of operations, and resolving issues and concerns promptly and efficiently. They may work together with architects and senior engineers, liaise with clients or contractors, and perform regular site inspections. Furthermore, a professional engineer must implement safety protocols and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
A Civil Designer plans, scales, and drafts drawings and maps for roads, bridges, and other construction projects. They work with engineers and project managers in determining material, labor, and other costs of the assigned projects.
Professional engineers and civil designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,348 | $58,421 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $118,000 | Between $41,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Walnut Creek, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Bayer | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Construction |
There are a few differences between a professional engineer and a civil designer in terms of educational background:
| Professional Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between professional engineers' and civil designers' demographics:
| Professional Engineer | Civil Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |