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The differences between stress engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a stress engineer, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a stress engineer has an average salary of $107,036, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a stress engineer include finite element analysis, structural analysis and autocad. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Stress Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,036 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $51.46 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 36,117 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A stress engineer specializes in conducting analysis and assessments on structures and components, mainly using stress to test its structural integrity. They may work in various industries such as automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and even medical. Although their duties may vary upon the industry, they are typically in charge of performing extensive research and analysis, coordinating with architects and engineers, designing and building prototypes, and maintaining records of all procedures. Furthermore, a stress engineer must produce detailed progress and findings reports in adherence to project deadlines and company policies.
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Stress engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stress Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,036 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $156,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | CTS | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a stress engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Stress Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between stress engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Stress Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 19.8% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |