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Project engineer internship vs student engineer

The differences between project engineer interns and student engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a project engineer internship, becoming a student engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a student engineer has an average salary of $71,947, which is higher than the $40,356 average annual salary of a project engineer internship.

The top three skills for a project engineer internship include project management, powerpoint and RFI. The most important skills for a student engineer are GPA, C++, and CAD.

Project engineer internship vs student engineer overview

Project Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Yearly salary$40,356$71,947
Hourly rate$19.40$34.59
Growth rate-2%
Number of jobs69,59398,036
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Average age4541
Years of experience106

What does a project engineer internship do?

When it comes to a project engineer internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to follow the directives of engineers and managers while earning practical experience. Most of the duties will revolve around processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, participating in various projects, assisting engineers in basic tasks, and organizing inventory and supplies. There may also be instances when an intern may take part in presentations and attend meetings. Furthermore, it is essential to coordinate with supervising managers while adhering to all rules.

What does a student engineer do?

A student engineer is an individual who trains to become a full pledge professional engineer by gaining working experience in the field of engineering. By using their knowledge in the principles of science and mathematics, student engineers should help other professionals develop economical solutions and solve technical problems. They are required to engage themselves in the testing, production, or maintenance of newly developed products. Student engineers are also required to work closely with their senior managers or supervisors.

Project engineer internship vs student engineer salary

Project engineer interns and student engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Project Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Average salary$40,356$71,947
Salary rangeBetween $31,000 And $51,000Between $54,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City-Yakima, WA
Highest paying state-Washington
Best paying company-JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Best paying industry-Transportation

Differences between project engineer internship and student engineer education

There are a few differences between a project engineer internship and a student engineer in terms of educational background:

Project Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Bachelor's Degree, 78%
Most common majorMechanical EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Project engineer internship vs student engineer demographics

Here are the differences between project engineer interns' and student engineers' demographics:

Project Engineer InternshipStudent Engineer
Average age4541
Gender ratioMale, 58.7% Female, 41.3%Male, 78.8% Female, 21.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 11.4% White, 58.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage6%5%

Differences between project engineer internship and student engineer duties and responsibilities

Project engineer internship example responsibilities.

  • Manage quality assurance checks for FDA and internal audits which result in no documentation/information error and successful completion of the audits.
  • Produce alpha, beta and pilot prototype units for full scale testing in conjunction with FMEA (DFMEA and PFMEA).
  • Perform field layout and as-built surveys using Trimble GPS and maintain up-to-date GPS models on construction equipment.
  • Involve in testing the application with QA team which are involved in cross browser testing and performance testing.
  • Conduct stringent schedule coordination with owner to complete HVAC upgrades to existing facilities to maintain facility operations during and after hours.
  • Identify a new advertising vehicle using Facebook.
  • Show more

Student engineer example responsibilities.

  • Compose GIS maps using ArcView, manage large data sets, and help in train other personnel learn program
  • Lead a team of undergraduate students to continue the work done on SEI NASA project (see below).
  • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
  • Complete computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations and execute data analysis using JMP.
  • Aid software engineers in programming and debugging internal SQL database.
  • Perform systems programming in C/C++, Java, MATLAB and Linux.
  • Show more

Project engineer internship vs student engineer skills

Common project engineer internship skills
  • Project Management, 15%
  • PowerPoint, 8%
  • RFI, 6%
  • CAD, 5%
  • Meeting Minutes, 5%
  • Construction Projects, 4%
Common student engineer skills
  • GPA, 12%
  • C++, 8%
  • CAD, 8%
  • Co-Op, 6%
  • Java, 5%
  • Python, 4%

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