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The differences between structures engineers and project field 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 structures engineer and a project field engineer. Additionally, a structures engineer has an average salary of $73,391, which is higher than the $71,292 average annual salary of a project field engineer.
The top three skills for a structures engineer include structural analysis, revit and RISA. The most important skills for a project field engineer are shop drawings, project management, and OSHA.
| Structures Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,391 | $71,292 |
| Hourly rate | $35.28 | $34.27 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 20,778 | 78,589 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A structures engineer works in designing, planning, and overseeing the development of the latest buildings and bridges or modifications and extensions to an existing property or other structures. They are mainly concerned with the safety and capability of the structure to withstand the elements to which they will be exposed--also improving the existing building structural integrity. Part of the task is inspecting properties regarding the conditions/foundation and checking work undertaken by contractors. The job is very similarly related to a civil engineer.
Field engineers are engineering professionals who work on-site in a different setting to direct workers and report to the management about the status of different projects. These engineers are required to resolve malfunctions or other crises such as construction or machinery problems while overseeing repairs and technical improvements. They must conduct research and studies on-site and installing new systems and technology to ensure smooth operations of machinery. Field engineers must also communicate with clients to discuss and determine the needs and explain complex issues of projects.
Structures engineers and project field engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Structures Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,391 | $71,292 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $98,000 | Between $56,000 And $90,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oklahoma |
| Best paying company | Apple | OHL USA |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a structures engineer and a project field engineer in terms of educational background:
| Structures Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Civil Engineering | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Columbia University in the City of New York |
Here are the differences between structures engineers' and project field engineers' demographics:
| Structures Engineer | Project Field Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% | Male, 91.1% Female, 8.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 10.3% Asian, 17.3% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 11.2% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |