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The differences between professional engineers and requirements engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a professional engineer, becoming a requirements engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a requirements engineer has an average salary of $87,170, 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 a requirements engineer are java, software development, and powerpoint.
| Professional Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,348 | $87,170 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $41.91 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 74,009 | 166,444 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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.
Requirements engineers are responsible for the analysis, documentation, coordination, and management of requirements regarding new software projects. They identify and understand the customer's project-specific demands and document them in a clear and binding way. Their duties and responsibilities also include preparing well-written and detailed documentation of the project and ensuring the project is designed and built within the legal parameters.
Professional engineers and requirements engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,348 | $87,170 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $118,000 | Between $62,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Bayer | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between a professional engineer and a requirements engineer in terms of educational background:
| Professional Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between professional engineers' and requirements engineers' demographics:
| Professional Engineer | Requirements Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 64.5% Female, 35.5% |
| 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, 4.6% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 8% |