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What is a project development engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted experts
Fred Garber Ph.D.,
Brian Denton Ph.D.

A project development engineer is a leadership individual who directs, reviews, and approves project designs and proposals. These individuals work in a variety of industries, from construction, computer software to engineering, and they manage the coordination and integration of technical roles in architectural or engineering projects. A project development engineer develops project designs according to a client or company's guidelines and coordinates with other departments to build and deliver these projects. These professionals work closely with engineering staff, train junior engineers, and ensure that all projects follow regulations and company protocols.

A project development engineer typically has a bachelor's degree in engineering, business or a related area, but employers may consider candidates who have comparable experience and knowledge. These individuals shoul possess strong management, analytical, communication and multi-tasking skills.

If you are looking for a leadership role, and enjoy the development and design aspect of engineering, a career as a project development engineer can be a rewarding one. A project development engineer can make up to $76,000 per year, and the career field is expected to grow 8% by 2028.

What general advice would you give to a project development engineer?

Fred Garber Ph.D.Fred Garber Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Professor, Electrical Engineering, Wright State University

I think the primary question, in the minds of those who are yet to graduate or are still searching, is in regard to the strength of the technical job market, especially the local job market. But you are in a position to definitively answer that question.

In you article, I would ask that you address the following:
Number of employers looking to fill and number of job offerings in the region (by engineering and computer science major) compared to last year and to the previous five years.

Any noticeable differences in job descriptions Zippia is receiving relative to work environment, benefits, starting salaries, etc.

Many of our soon-to-graduate students would be very interested in these quantitative and qualitative comparisons. Additionally, vast numbers of potential students would benefit from such information to guide their career choices.
ScoreProject Development EngineerUS Average
Salary
6.6

Avg. Salary $85,059

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
7.5

Growth rate 10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.17%

Asian 13.69%

Black or African American 4.67%

Hispanic or Latino 11.47%

Unknown 3.94%

White 66.06%

Gender

female 15.49%

male 84.51%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Project development engineer career paths

Key steps to become a project development engineer

  1. Explore project development engineer education requirements

    Most common project development engineer degrees

    Bachelor's

    78.2 %

    Master's

    15.0 %

    Associate

    4.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific project development engineer skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Renewable Energy11.88%
    Project Management8.03%
    Cost Estimates7.41%
    CAD6.12%
    Technical Reports6.06%
  3. Complete relevant project development engineer training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New project development engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a project development engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real project development engineer resumes.
  4. Research project development engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Manage multiple crews for installation, implementation and service of RF and telecommunications systems throughout Florida.
    • Develop & test commercial grade HVAC products for large scale facilities such as airports, schools or complexes.
    • Communicate with other engineering disciplines to complete overall design and construction of projects including electrical, HVAC, structural and mechanical.
    • Design and create complete web business applications for internal departments, including system architecture, front-end UI and back-end database functionality.
  5. Prepare your project development engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your project development engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a project development engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable project development engineer resume templates

    Build a professional project development engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your project development engineer resume.
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
    Project Development Engineer Resume
  6. Apply for project development engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a project development engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first project development engineer job

Zippi

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Average project development engineer salary

The average project development engineer salary in the United States is $85,059 per year or $41 per hour. Project development engineer salaries range between $65,000 and $110,000 per year.

Average project development engineer salary
$85,059 Yearly
$40.89 hourly

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Project development engineer reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Cons

HR compliance and accounting auditing , quarterly budgeting rather than Annual as previously accepted. Wallstreet insistence on more frequent projections


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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