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The differences between test design engineers and project 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 test design engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a test design engineer has an average salary of $88,403, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a test design engineer include test equipment, RF and python. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Test Design Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,403 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $42.50 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 125,776 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Test Design Engineer's job is to critically check all materials, processes, electrical, and mechanical systems to ensure that customers get high-quality products. As a Test Design Engineer, your job is to run tests to check the quality of products throughout the production cycle. This is done by checking the various components and features of these products to identify and fix technical issues easily. Your duties will also include checking the raw materials used for production, creating test environments and analyzing the results, and trying to ascertain the root cause of the malfunctions.
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.
Test design engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Design Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,403 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $115,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Energy |
There are a few differences between a test design engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Design Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between test design engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Test Design Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 5% |