Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between project engineers and estimators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a project engineer, becoming an estimator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a project engineer has an average salary of $75,050, which is higher than the $67,162 average annual salary of an estimator.
The top three skills for a project engineer include project management, autocad and construction management. The most important skills for an estimator are customer service, cost estimates, and project management.
| Project Engineer | Estimator | |
| Yearly salary | $75,050 | $67,162 |
| Hourly rate | $36.08 | $32.29 |
| Growth rate | 2% | -2% |
| Number of jobs | 176,689 | 12,567 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
Estimators work in construction and manufacturing businesses to estimate the operational costs of the company. It is the responsibility of the estimators to compile the estimates of the products and services. They prepare work for estimation through blueprints, specifications, proposals, and its associated documents. It is also expected from them to find their potential clients' needs and wants, research equipment and materials, and calculate labor costs. The organization, time management, and effective communication are the skills expected from a good estimator.
Project engineers and estimators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Engineer | Estimator | |
| Average salary | $75,050 | $67,162 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $100,000 | Between $46,000 And $96,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Vermont |
| Best paying company | Apple | BlackRock |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a project engineer and an estimator in terms of educational background:
| Project Engineer | Estimator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo |
Here are the differences between project engineers' and estimators' demographics:
| Project Engineer | Estimator | |
| Average age | 41 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% | Male, 82.1% Female, 17.9% |
| 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, 2.2% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.7% Asian, 4.5% White, 75.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 4% |