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Site engineer vs project engineer

The differences between site 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 site engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a site engineer has an average salary of $75,719, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.

The top three skills for a site engineer include project management, infrastructure and site safety. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.

Site engineer vs project engineer overview

Site EngineerProject Engineer
Yearly salary$75,719$75,050
Hourly rate$36.40$36.08
Growth rate7%2%
Number of jobs42,333176,689
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Average age4141
Years of experience66

What does a site engineer do?

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.

What does a project engineer do?

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.

Site engineer vs project engineer salary

Site engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Site EngineerProject Engineer
Average salary$75,719$75,050
Salary rangeBetween $53,000 And $106,000Between $55,000 And $100,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyFitbitApple
Best paying industryManufacturingEnergy

Differences between site engineer and project engineer education

There are a few differences between a site engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:

Site EngineerProject Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 77%Bachelor's Degree, 77%
Most common majorCivil EngineeringMechanical Engineering
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Site engineer vs project engineer demographics

Here are the differences between site engineers' and project engineers' demographics:

Site EngineerProject Engineer
Average age4141
Gender ratioMale, 93.0% Female, 7.0%Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9%
Race ratioBlack 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage5%5%

Differences between site engineer and project engineer duties and responsibilities

Site engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage standard sub contract RFP package.
  • Manage production of full sets of contract documents (grading, drainage, water, sewer, paving and SWPPP).
  • Create a standardize ISO accept template for requisition and purchase order that are used across the organization.
  • Construct a SQL database to analyze all legacy network connections in order to access which ones need upgrading.
  • Assist in and conduct daily operations and maintenance of plumbing, electrical, HVAC and general maintenance requirements of buildings.
  • Direct broadband engineering team for implementation of hardware.
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Project engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage TCP/IP LAN environment for the time during implementation.
  • Support and manage the development of a CNC base electron beam drill.
  • Lead a MGPP six sigma project to improve the accuracy of 3D clutch cooling analysis
  • Manage the BHP enterprise wide migration from e-rooms to SharePoint for document management and team collaboration.
  • Manage the installation of a CNC laser cutting system with full responsibility for all aspects of the project.
  • Coordinate and manage activities of the 787-9 IPT's to complete the specific aircraft side of the test cells.
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Site engineer vs project engineer skills

Common site engineer skills
  • Project Management, 17%
  • Infrastructure, 15%
  • Site Safety, 7%
  • RF, 6%
  • CAD, 4%
  • Ericsson, 4%
Common project engineer skills
  • Project Management, 12%
  • Autocad, 7%
  • Construction Management, 6%
  • CAD, 4%
  • UL, 4%
  • Cost Estimates, 3%

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