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The differences between refrigeration engineers and lead 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 refrigeration engineer and a lead engineer. Additionally, a refrigeration engineer has an average salary of $88,921, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a refrigeration engineer include HVAC, freon and plumbing. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Refrigeration Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,921 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $42.75 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,405 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Refrigeration engineers are generally called to design and oversee the fabrication of both residential and industrial refrigeration systems, as well as troubleshoot any potential problems therewith. This choice of career will require a good knowledge base of thermodynamics, as well as computer-aided design systems. Refrigeration engineers must also have an understanding of health and safety regulation standards.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Refrigeration engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Refrigeration Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,921 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $125,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Standex International | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a refrigeration engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Refrigeration Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Duke University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between refrigeration engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Refrigeration Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 99.0% Female, 1.0% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |