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The differences between professional engineers and office 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 professional engineer and an office engineer. Additionally, an office engineer has an average salary of $89,581, which is higher than the $86,348 average annual salary of a professional engineer.
The top three skills for a professional engineer include civil engineering, project management and PE. The most important skills for an office engineer are construction management, construction sites, and shop drawings.
| Professional Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,348 | $89,581 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $43.07 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 74,009 | 59,644 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| 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.
The duties of an office engineer depend on one's place or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing technical and clerical support to the workforce, coordinating different parties involved in a project or program, and implementing the company's policies and regulations. Moreover, as an office engineer, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, maintain accurate data and records of all transactions, manage schedules, perform maintenance checks, and address issues and concerns, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently.
Professional engineers and office engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,348 | $89,581 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $118,000 | Between $65,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Bayer | Microsoft |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Retail |
There are a few differences between a professional engineer and an office engineer in terms of educational background:
| Professional Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | New York University |
Here are the differences between professional engineers' and office engineers' demographics:
| Professional Engineer | Office Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 74.3% Female, 25.7% |
| 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, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |