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The differences between project development engineers and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a project development engineer and a project lead engineer. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $85,059 average annual salary of a project development engineer.
The top three skills for a project development engineer include renewable energy, project management and cost estimates. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Project Development Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,059 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $40.89 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 120,300 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A project development engineer designs and develops projects according to the client or company's goals and requirements. They typically perform extensive research and analysis, establish prototypes and test structures, coordinate with fellow experts, and study existing projects to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. They may also provide technical guidance and support to staff, train junior engineers, and develop strategies to optimize project operations. Moreover, a project development engineer must maintain an active communication line with teams while enforcing safety policies and project regulations.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Project development engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Development Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,059 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $110,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | California |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a project development engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Development Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between project development engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Project Development Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.5% Female, 15.5% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 13.7% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |