Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between utility 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 utility engineer and a project engineer. Additionally, a utility engineer has an average salary of $76,349, which is higher than the $75,050 average annual salary of a project engineer.
The top three skills for a utility engineer include HVAC, autocad and plumbing. The most important skills for a project engineer are project management, autocad, and construction management.
| Utility Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,349 | $75,050 |
| Hourly rate | $36.71 | $36.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 92,219 | 176,689 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| 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 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.
Utility engineers and project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Utility Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,349 | $75,050 |
| Salary range | Between $54,000 And $107,000 | Between $55,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Richmond, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Exxon Mobil | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Energy |
There are a few differences between a utility engineer and a project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Utility Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 77% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between utility engineers' and project engineers' demographics:
| Utility Engineer | Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 87.1% Female, 12.9% |
| 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, 3.3% 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% |