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The differences between staff electrical engineers and contracting engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a staff electrical engineer, becoming a contracting engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $112,225 average annual salary of a staff electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a staff electrical engineer include electrical engineering, analog and electrical systems. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,225 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $53.95 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 129,667 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A staff electrical engineer specializes in designing and developing electrical systems and equipment. Their responsibilities typically include understanding the project's needs, conducting research and analysis, creating prototypes and test structures, performing installations and adjustments, resolving and repairing issues, and developing strategies to enhance existing systems. They must also perform regular maintenance checks to maintain a safe and efficient work environment. Moreover, a staff electrical engineer may train junior engineers while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
Staff electrical engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,225 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $152,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Cheniere Energy | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a staff electrical engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between staff electrical engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Staff Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.1% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |