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The differences between start-up 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 start-up engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a start-up engineer has an average salary of $96,978, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a start-up engineer include test results, control systems and test procedures. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Start-Up Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,978 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $46.62 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 87,993 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A start-up engineer must have systematic debugging skills. They are responsible for fixing bugs reported by clients. They must also promptly navigate unfamiliar codebases. They develop new tools to meet clients' needs.
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.
Start-up engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Start-Up Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,978 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $150,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Mexico | Washington |
| Best paying company | CyberCoders | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a start-up engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Start-Up Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between start-up engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Start-Up Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.3% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 Percentage | 5% | 5% |