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The differences between structural designers and structural design 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 structural designer and a structural design engineer. Additionally, a structural design engineer has an average salary of $75,662, which is higher than the $63,273 average annual salary of a structural designer.
The top three skills for a structural designer include revit, structural design and BIM. The most important skills for a structural design engineer are structural design, CAD, and autocad.
| Structural Designer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $63,273 | $75,662 |
| Hourly rate | $30.42 | $36.38 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 51,432 | 57,187 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Structural Designer designs, develops, and supervises the construction of new buildings and bridges, or extensions to existing properties or other structures. They review and update construction drawings as well as communicate project problems and flaws to managers.
A Structural Design Engineer designs drawings, specifications, and computer models of structures for building contractors. They help design hospitals, office blocks, houses, bridges, ships, and other structures.
Structural designers and structural design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structural Designer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $63,273 | $75,662 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $84,000 | Between $54,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Tesla | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a structural designer and a structural design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Structural Designer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between structural designers' and structural design engineers' demographics:
| Structural Designer | Structural Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 12.8% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.3% White, 64.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |