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The differences between senior 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 senior engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a senior engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Senior Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,743 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $52.28 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 343,200 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
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 engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,743 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Roku | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Energy |
There are a few differences between a senior engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Senior Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% 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% |