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The differences between utility engineers and contracting 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 utility engineer and a contracting engineer. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $76,349 average annual salary of a utility engineer.
The top three skills for a utility engineer include HVAC, autocad and plumbing. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Utility Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,349 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $36.71 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 92,219 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A utility engineer is responsible for managing the energy resources within the industrial companies, measuring the amount of energy released, and identifying methods to minimize energy waste. Utility engineers run multiple quality checks with technological energy equipment to ensure its efficiency and stability in maintaining the accurate level of energy distribution to support commercial operations. They evaluate the energy needs of an area and recommend techniques to improve reliability. A utility engineer must have excellent communication and analytical skills, as well as extensive knowledge of mechanical ability to monitor and improve energy systems.
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
Utility engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Utility Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,349 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $107,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Exxon Mobil | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between a utility engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Utility Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between utility engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Utility Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 10.2% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |