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The differences between project engineers and development 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 development engineer. Additionally, a development engineer has an average salary of $93,206, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a project engineer include project management, autocad and construction management. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Project Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,050 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 176,689 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Project engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,050 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $100,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between project engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Project Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |