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The differences between senior fire protection engineers and chief engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a chief engineer has an average salary of $108,050, which is higher than the $97,290 average annual salary of a senior fire protection engineer.
The top three skills for a senior fire protection engineer include fire protection, NFPA and project management. The most important skills for a chief engineer are HVAC, plumbing, and customer service.
| Senior Fire Protection Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,290 | $108,050 |
| Hourly rate | $46.77 | $51.95 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 13,102 | 88,473 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
As a senior fire protection engineer, you need to study the architecture and design of the infrastructure properly so that you can suggest various methods of protecting it from fires. You need to work on the fire prevention methods of the infrastructure so that you can save thousands of lives. You need to do extensive study on fire science and engineering in a mechanical or structural course. You need to spend a lot of time between architects and interior designers so that they can provide you with much knowledge regarding the infrastructure and construction of buildings.
Also, you need to focus on engineering design and installation. You have to be aware of the various fire prevention systems such as fire alarm or sprinkler systems and be able to install the fire alarms and suppression systems in buildings. You also need to create evacuation portals and stairwells within the company. To qualify for this position, a bachelor's in fire science and engineering is a must.
A chief engineer is responsible for monitoring the engineering department's overall operations, ensuring performance efficiency, and everyone's strict compliance with the safety standards and regulatory procedures. Chief engineers manage the distribution of the tasks to the team, communicate with the clients and management for instructions and specifications, monitor expenses and forecast sales reports, analyze and approve designs, negotiate contracts, and process disputes. A chief engineer must have excellent knowledge of the engineering disciplines and exemplary leadership skills to handle the team's performance towards the company's objectives.
Senior fire protection engineers and chief engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Fire Protection Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,290 | $108,050 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $148,000 | Between $65,000 And $177,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | West Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | Technip USA Corporation | BGC Partners |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a senior fire protection engineer and a chief engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Fire Protection Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 49% |
| Most common major | Fire Science And Protection | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior fire protection engineers' and chief engineers' demographics:
| Senior Fire Protection Engineer | Chief Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 96.2% Female, 3.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 13.5% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |