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The differences between project assistants and project engineering managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a project assistant, becoming a project engineering manager takes usually requires More than 10 years. Additionally, a project engineering manager has an average salary of $110,534, which is higher than the $38,564 average annual salary of a project assistant.
The top three skills for a project assistant include data entry, powerpoint and customer service. The most important skills for a project engineering manager are project management, project scope, and engineering design.
| Project Assistant | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $38,564 | $110,534 |
| Hourly rate | $18.54 | $53.14 |
| Growth rate | -8% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 59,664 | 171,897 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 50 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 2 | - |
A project assistant's role mainly revolves around assisting a project manager. The responsibilities may vary upon the industry or organization. Still, most of them will be administrative tasks such as preparing reports and documentation, responding to calls and other forms of correspondence, and coordinating with various offices and personnel. Furthermore, a Project Assistant must also ensure the department's efficient workflow, proper utilization of budget, review documentation and schedules, attend meetings, and maintain an information database.
A project engineering manager's job is to oversee engineering projects in diverse industries, including transportation, software development, and utility industries. They are responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of intricate designs and evaluating and approving changes that may affect the scope, budget, and completion of a project. They also perform other essential tasks, including monitoring the project's progress and performance, developing maintenance plans, and preparing expenditure reports. Project engineering managers are also expected to resolve any issues that may arise from operations.
Project assistants and project engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Assistant | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $38,564 | $110,534 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $57,000 | Between $79,000 And $153,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | AstraZeneca | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project assistant and a project engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Project Assistant | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Western Carolina University | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between project assistants' and project engineering managers' demographics:
| Project Assistant | Project Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 50 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 32.9% Female, 67.1% | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 3.8% White, 66.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 12.0% White, 71.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 9% |