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The differences between value engineers and project lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a value engineer and a project lead engineer. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $88,531 average annual salary of a value engineer.
The top three skills for a value engineer include project management, CAD and sigma. The most important skills for a project lead engineer are project management, renewable energy, and project execution.
| Value Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,531 | $106,946 |
| Hourly rate | $42.56 | $51.42 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 47,777 | 98,018 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A value engineer specializes in designing and developing procedures and strategies to enhance the value of projects and operations in an organization. Although the extent of their responsibilities varies on their company or industry of employment, it usually includes conducting research and analysis, reviewing documentation, developing tools, creating and presenting financial models, and help in developing processes and practices to optimize operations. Moreover, a value engineer typically works in a team environment, which requires an active communication line for a safe and efficient workflow.
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
Value engineers and project lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Value Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,531 | $106,946 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $124,000 | Between $78,000 And $146,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a value engineer and a project lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Value Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between value engineers' and project lead engineers' demographics:
| Value Engineer | Project Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.6% Female, 10.4% | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.5% Asian, 12.2% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |