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The differences between site engineers and professional 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 site engineer and a professional engineer. Additionally, a professional engineer has an average salary of $86,348, which is higher than the $75,719 average annual salary of a site engineer.
The top three skills for a site engineer include project management, infrastructure and site safety. The most important skills for a professional engineer are civil engineering, project management, and PE.
| Site Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $75,719 | $86,348 |
| Hourly rate | $36.40 | $41.51 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 42,333 | 74,009 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Site Engineer supervises the building work and contracted staff, and ensures that all projects meet the agreed specifications, budgets, and timescales. They provide technical advice and solve various problems on-site.
A professional engineer specializes in designing and developing systems and structures through different principles. Although their duties will vary upon their industry of employment, it typically includes performing site assessments and examinations, studying the purpose and goals of the project, developing plans and guidelines, monitoring the progress of operations, and resolving issues and concerns promptly and efficiently. They may work together with architects and senior engineers, liaise with clients or contractors, and perform regular site inspections. Furthermore, a professional engineer must implement safety protocols and regulations to maintain a safe and efficient work environment.
Site engineers and professional engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Site Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Average salary | $75,719 | $86,348 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $106,000 | Between $63,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Fitbit | Bayer |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a site engineer and a professional engineer in terms of educational background:
| Site Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between site engineers' and professional engineers' demographics:
| Site Engineer | Professional Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.4% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |