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The differences between resident engineers and project 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 resident engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a resident engineer has an average salary of $96,425, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a resident engineer include infrastructure, PE and construction projects. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Resident Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,425 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $46.36 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 31,388 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Resident Engineer is responsible for all planning aspects of a project. They maintain project engineering records, monitor and expedite weekly reports for accuracy, and develop and perform quality control procedures.
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.
Resident engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Resident Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,425 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $132,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Energy |
There are a few differences between a resident engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Resident Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between resident engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Resident Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.1% Asian, 12.0% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |