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The differences between professional engineers and structural 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 structural designer. Additionally, a professional engineer has an average salary of $86,348, which is higher than the $63,273 average annual salary of a structural designer.
The top three skills for a professional engineer include civil engineering, project management and PE. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.
| Professional Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,348 | $63,273 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 74,009 | 51,432 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.
Professional engineers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Professional Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average salary | $86,348 | $63,273 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $118,000 | Between $47,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Bayer | Tesla |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Construction |
There are a few differences between a professional engineer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:
| Professional Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| 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 structural designers' demographics:
| Professional Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| 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, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |