Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between soil engineers and geotechnical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a soil engineer, becoming a geotechnical engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a geotechnical engineer has an average salary of $74,831, which is higher than the $72,960 average annual salary of a soil engineer.
The top three skills for a soil engineer include geotechnical, soil samples and asphalt. The most important skills for a geotechnical engineer are geotechnical, civil engineering, and project management.
| Soil Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $72,960 | $74,831 |
| Hourly rate | $35.08 | $35.98 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 6,703 | 15,062 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Soil engineers and geotechnical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Soil Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $72,960 | $74,831 |
| Salary range | Between $46,000 And $115,000 | Between $56,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | - | Alaska |
| Best paying company | - | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a soil engineer and a geotechnical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Soil Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | University of California, Berkeley | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between soil engineers' and geotechnical engineers' demographics:
| Soil Engineer | Geotechnical Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.7% Female, 16.3% | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 7.7% Asian, 10.6% White, 75.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.0% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 5% |