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Project and design lead vs project engineer

The differences between project and design leads and project 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 project and design lead and a project engineer. Additionally, a project and design lead has an average salary of $89,305, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.

The top three skills for a project and design lead include CAD, construction drawings and solidworks. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.

Project and design lead vs project engineer overview

Project And Design LeadProject Engineer
Yearly salary$89,305$75,050
Hourly rate$42.94$36.08
Growth rate2%2%
Number of jobs55,086176,689
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

Project and design lead vs project engineer salary

Project and design leads and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project And Design LeadProject Engineer
Average salary$89,305$75,050
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $118,000Between $55,000 And $100,000
Highest paying CityRedwood City, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyEli Lilly and CompanyApple
Best paying industryFinanceEnergy

Differences between project and design lead and project engineer education

There are a few differences between a project and design lead and a project engineer in terms of educational background:

Project And Design LeadProject Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Project and design lead vs project engineer demographics

Here are the differences between project and design leads' and project engineers' demographics:

Project And Design LeadProject Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 77.1% Female, 22.9%Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between project and design lead and project engineer duties and responsibilities

Project and design lead example responsibilities.

  • Deliver high-level n-tier architecture design, managing project expectations and timetables throughout all phases of development process.
  • Identify key areas for FPGA design improvement while isolating testing gaps in VHDL.
  • Request enhancements to the PLM product.
  • Work with composite materials, molds and SolidWorks.
  • Work with a 3rd party to utilize Solidworks EPDM software.
  • Develop requirements for customization of PLM product to suit Chrysler business processes.
  • Show more

Project engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage TCP/IP LAN environment for the time during implementation.
  • Support and manage the development of a CNC base electron beam drill.
  • Lead a MGPP six sigma project to improve the accuracy of 3D clutch cooling analysis
  • Manage the BHP enterprise wide migration from e-rooms to SharePoint for document management and team collaboration.
  • Manage the installation of a CNC laser cutting system with full responsibility for all aspects of the project.
  • Coordinate and manage activities of the 787-9 IPT's to complete the specific aircraft side of the test cells.
  • Show more

Project and design lead vs project engineer skills

Common project and design lead skills
  • CAD, 12%
  • Construction Drawings, 8%
  • Solidworks, 6%
  • Design Concepts, 5%
  • R, 5%
  • QA, 5%
Common project engineer skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Autocad, 7%
  • Construction Management, 6%
  • CAD, 4%
  • UL, 4%
  • Cost Estimates, 3%

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