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The differences between structural steel engineers and structural designers 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 steel engineer and a structural designer. Additionally, a structural steel engineer has an average salary of $74,031, which is higher than the $63,273 average annual salary of a structural designer.
The top three skills for a structural steel engineer include calculation, subcontractors and steel structures. The most important skills for a structural designer are revit, structural design, and BIM.
| Structural Steel Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,031 | $63,273 |
| Hourly rate | $35.59 | $30.42 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 15,515 | 51,432 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Structural steel engineers and structural designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structural Steel Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average salary | $74,031 | $63,273 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $97,000 | Between $47,000 And $84,000 |
| Highest paying City | Salem, OR | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | RAZ Mobile | Tesla |
| Best paying industry | - | Construction |
There are a few differences between a structural steel engineer and a structural designer in terms of educational background:
| Structural Steel Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Drafting And Design |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between structural steel engineers' and structural designers' demographics:
| Structural Steel Engineer | Structural Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |