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The differences between project engineers and civil 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 engineer and a civil engineer. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $70,950 average annual salary of a civil engineer.
The top three skills for a project engineer include project management, autocad and construction management. The most important skills for a civil engineer are civil 3d, engineering design, and cost estimates.
| Project Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,050 | $70,950 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $34.11 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 176,689 | 26,803 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Project Engineer develops the plan that the entire team or company will undertake. The project engineer develops the plans, strategies, and goals of a project and then gives it to the management for approval and allocation. The Project Engineer will also recommend material, equipment, and the type of personnel needed. This position is integral in the smooth flow of any project, so hiring someone to hold this position will decide the success of a project.
A civil engineer designs and supervises the construction of large-scale public works projects such as buildings, roads, tunnels, highways, airports, bridges, dams, and other substantial infrastructure. Most civil engineers work in the private industry, but some work for a government organization. Their output is almost everywhere. Many of them specialize in a specific project or practice a target profession such as in transportation, structural engineering, or geotechnical engineering. They oftentimes work at project sites, as they monitor the ongoing construction.
Project engineers and civil engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,050 | $70,950 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $100,000 | Between $51,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Construction |
There are a few differences between a project engineer and a civil engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between project engineers' and civil engineers' demographics:
| Project Engineer | Civil Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 15.6% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |