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What does a project field engineer do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a project field engineer do

Field engineers are engineering professionals who work on-site in a different setting to direct workers and report to the management about the status of different projects. These engineers are required to resolve malfunctions or other crises such as construction or machinery problems while overseeing repairs and technical improvements. They must conduct research and studies on-site and installing new systems and technology to ensure smooth operations of machinery. Field engineers must also communicate with clients to discuss and determine the needs and explain complex issues of projects.

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Project field engineer responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real project field engineer resumes:

  • Manage work orders utilizing client's MAXIMO and BSL system.
  • Manage document control including change orders, billings, RFI tracking, purchasing documentation and contract administration.
  • Manage and/or participate in a variety of water and wastewater assist company principles as engineering consultants for numerous municipal clients.
  • Obtain and evaluate geotechnical data at project sites.
  • Negotiate change-order work and prepare monthly project CPM updates.
  • Create and maintain change order logs on each project also maintaining RFI logs on all projects.
  • Engage with contractors and commissioning agents in start-up and commissioning activities for major mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
  • Coordinate installation and final start-up.
  • Develop and present program specific PowerPoint presentations to executive team.
  • Produce a PowerPoint presentation detailing manufacturing processes that are accumulating cost.
  • Perform quality inspections of piping and mechanical commodities, compliance reporting, progress reports and quantity verification.
  • Enhance SCR system performance for internal combustion engine applications and provide compliance assurance through system troubleshooting and modifying existing PLC programming.
  • Prepare job-planning documents that define work scopes of outages to be perform through engineering instructions, drawings, and process instructions.
  • Prepare timely and accurate technical reports for customer records and reference for future outages.
  • Perform quality inspections of piping and mechanical commodities, compliance reporting, progress reports and quantity verification.

Project field engineer skills and personality traits

We calculated that 10% of Project Field Engineers are proficient in Shop Drawings, Project Management, and OSHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Leadership skills, and Speaking skills.

We break down the percentage of Project Field Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Shop Drawings, 10%

    Provided approved shop drawings and specifications for field personnel.

  • Project Management, 9%

    Provided project management for multiple process plant projects focus on improving existing facilities.

  • OSHA, 7%

    Performed OSHA inspections on electric overhead cranes which included mechanical, structural and electrical systems.

  • Construction Management, 7%

    Provided construction management and daily inspection for several cathodic protection system projects.

  • Field Supervision, 6%

    Provided support to field supervision in establishing requirements for manpower, tools, equipment, and materials.

  • Construction Projects, 5%

    Performed engineering tasks requiring standard techniques and handled minor problems of a technical nature arising during large-scale construction projects.

"shop drawings," "project management," and "osha" are among the most common skills that project field engineers use at work. You can find even more project field engineer responsibilities below, including:

Organizational skills. One of the key soft skills for a project field engineer to have is organizational skills. You can see how this relates to what project field engineers do because "civil engineers often oversee several projects at the same time and must be able to allocate resources effectively." Additionally, a project field engineer resume shows how project field engineers use organizational skills: "developed organizational tools to help track requirements and design changes. "

Math skills. Another common skill required for project field engineer responsibilities is "math skills." This skill comes up in the duties of project field engineers all the time, as "civil engineers use calculus, trigonometry, and other mathematics for analysis, design, and troubleshooting." An excerpt from a real project field engineer resume shows how this skill is central to what a project field engineer does: "streamlined project budget tracking system using advanced excel matrices & mathematical formulas. "

Problem-solving skills. While "problem-solving skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to project field engineer responsibilities. Much of what a project field engineer does relies on this skill, seeing as "civil engineers may encounter problems during each stage of their work." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of project field engineers: "provided on-the-spot resolution to rfi's to minimize impact on total project cost. "

Most common project field engineer skills

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Compare different project field engineers

Project field engineer vs. Research and development engineer

Research and development engineers generally execute research and tests on product ideas, develop new products, and perform redesigns. They are employed in many industries, including manufacturing, electrical, and science-based companies. Their duties vary and depend on the industries they work in. Responsibilities of these engineers include developing new technologies, designing products, and managing the projects until they are completed. Additionally, they lead the project team members to manage their schedules, design the project plans, and collaborate with key departments in developing new products.

If we compare the average project field engineer annual salary with that of a research and development engineer, we find that research and development engineers typically earn a $28,877 higher salary than project field engineers make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both project field engineer and research and development engineer positions are skilled in project management, cad, and technical support.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a project field engineer are more likely to require skills like "shop drawings," "osha," "construction management," and "field supervision." On the other hand, a job as a research and development engineer requires skills like "python," "r," "c #," and "solidworks." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Research and development engineers tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $107,654. In contrast, project field engineers make the biggest average salary, $73,847, in the energy industry.research and development engineers tend to reach higher levels of education than project field engineers. In fact, research and development engineers are 9.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.

Project field engineer vs. Engineer

Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.

On average, engineers earn a $20,785 higher salary than project field engineers a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Project field engineers and engineers both require similar skills like "project management," "cad," and "technical support" to carry out their responsibilities.

Each career also uses different skills, according to real project field engineer resumes. While project field engineer responsibilities can utilize skills like "shop drawings," "osha," "construction management," and "field supervision," engineers use skills like "python," "cloud," "c++," and "c #."

Engineers may earn a higher salary than project field engineers, but engineers earn the most pay in the automotive industry with an average salary of $97,672. On the other hand, project field engineers receive higher pay in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $73,847.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Engineers tend to reach similar levels of education than project field engineers. In fact, they're 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Project field engineer vs. Office engineer

The duties of an office engineer depend on one's place or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around providing technical and clerical support to the workforce, coordinating different parties involved in a project or program, and implementing the company's policies and regulations. Moreover, as an office engineer, it is essential to produce progress reports and presentations, maintain accurate data and records of all transactions, manage schedules, perform maintenance checks, and address issues and concerns, providing corrective measures promptly and efficiently.

An average office engineer eans a higher salary compared to the average salary of project field engineers. The difference in salaries amounts to office engineers earning a $18,289 higher average salary than project field engineers.By looking over several project field engineers and office engineers resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "shop drawings," "project management," and "osha." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, project field engineers are more likely to have skills like "construction contracts," "microsoft project," "concrete pours," and "constructability reviews." But a office engineer is more likely to have skills like "construction sites," "oil gas," "primavera," and "project documentation."

Office engineers make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $85,905. On the other hand, project field engineers are paid the highest salary in the energy industry, with average annual pay of $73,847.office engineers typically earn similar educational levels compared to project field engineers. Specifically, they're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Project field engineer vs. Mechanical design engineer

A mechanical design engineer specializes in designing various mechanical devices that will be vital in developing machinery or large structures. One of their primary responsibilities revolves around conducting thorough research and analysis, establishing layouts and prototypes, producing progress reports, and working alongside fellow engineers and skilled professionals. Typically assigned in an office setting, a mechanical design engineer must visit construction sites or factories to test and observe equipment qualities. Furthermore, during production, there are instances when a mechanical engineer must coordinate with suppliers, contractors, and clients.

Mechanical design engineers tend to earn a higher pay than project field engineers by an average of $4,529 per year.While both project field engineers and mechanical design engineers complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like project management, cad, and technical support, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between project field engineers and mechanical design engineers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a project field engineer might have more use for skills like "shop drawings," "osha," "construction management," and "field supervision." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of mechanical design engineers require skills like "mechanical design," "gd," "creo," and "fea. "

The automotive industry tends to pay the highest salaries for mechanical design engineers, with average annual pay of $87,483. Comparatively, the highest project field engineer annual salary comes from the energy industry.In general, mechanical design engineers hold similar degree levels compared to project field engineers. Mechanical design engineers are 2.8% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of project field engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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