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The differences between stress engineers and project 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 project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a stress engineer has an average salary of $107,036, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a stress engineer include finite element analysis, structural analysis and autocad. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Stress Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,036 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $51.46 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 36,117 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 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.
Stress engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Stress Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,036 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $156,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | CTS | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Energy |
There are a few differences between a stress engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Stress Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 project engineers' demographics:
| Stress Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.7% Female, 10.3% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 14.5% White, 68.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |