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The differences between project lead engineers and lead design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a project lead engineer, becoming a lead design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $106,946 average annual salary of a project lead engineer.
The top three skills for a project lead engineer include project management, renewable energy and project execution. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Project Lead Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,946 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $51.42 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 98,018 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Project lead engineers and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Lead Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,946 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $146,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a project lead engineer and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Lead Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between project lead engineers' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Project Lead Engineer | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |