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The differences between senior design specialists 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 senior design specialist and a project engineer. Additionally, a senior design specialist has an average salary of $96,923, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a senior design specialist include sketch, SR and design solutions. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Senior Design Specialist | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,923 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $46.60 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,603 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior design specialist's main responsibility is managing design projects and delivering them within the deadlines. They have to also look after the junior designers and ensure that the quality of designs meets company standards.
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.
Senior design specialists and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Specialist | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,923 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior design specialist and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Specialist | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior design specialists' and project engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Specialist | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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% |