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The construction industry is very fast-paced. Every job site and every project costs thousands, if not millions, of dollars a day, so wasting time is not a viable option. This is why you need a team of doers consisting of a project manager and a project engineer.
For an outsider, the roles seem to overlap, but there are distinct differences and specific roles those two do that dictate the success of a project. This post will explain all of that and more. But first, let’s define both roles in detail:
What Is A Project Engineer?
The project engineer is the head of the technical team onsite, ensuring that the project is executed according to the drawings within the intended schedule and budget.
Project engineers manage the project onsite and troubleshoot problems that arise on construction sites, such as inconsistency with design drawings, unforeseen issues during construction, and making judgement calls on technical issues during construction.
They are also involved in safety procedures to ensure that work is executed in a safe manner with no impact on workers’ lives and minimal environmental impact.
Essentially the project engineer ensures that construction sites are run efficiently and on the highest level of quality. They work closely with site supervisors, site engineers, and project managers offsite.
This is, in general, the key responsibility of the project engineer. We did leave a few more details that you can read here if you are interested in learning more: What Is Project Engineer? Role, Duties, Salary & More.
What Is A Project Manager?
The project manager oversees the entire construction project from start to finish and sometimes might be managing several construction projects simultaneously.
You might see project managers on site from time to time, but the job is mostly offsite.
We can sum up the main tasks of a project manager into a few bullet points:
- Commercial: Project managers take care of the commercial side of the project by hiring contractors and negotiating future work with the client
- Project Budget: Project managers are in charge of allocating the budget to different construction activities, while project engineers are in charge of executing the project management plan.
- Project Timeline: Project managers create the project Gantt Chart and flow chart and break down the construction project into activities that ensure the most optimal critical path.
- Quality Work: Project managers maintain positive communication with project engineers to ensure that quality documents are completed.
This is, in general, the main task of a project manager. You can read more on those tasks in detail here: What Are The Daily Tasks Of A Project Manager?
You can essentially think of project managers as the middle man or even the business owner of the project as they work closely with estimators, business development engineers, the human resources team and the quality safety team offsite and with project engineers, site engineers and supervisors on site.
How Do Project Engineers And Project Managers Work Together?
Both project managers and project engineers work closely together to ensure project success.
The project manager takes care of the project offsite by managing the project cost, maintaining a good relationship with the client by completing the project on time and managing contractors and consulting engineering firms.
Project Engineers take care of the project onsite by ensuring that technical issues are resolved promptly and that projects are executed within time and budget while maintaining all the quality documentation, tests and monitoring milestones.
Essentially the project engineer is the eyes and ears of the project manager. Successful projects depend on effective communication between both parties and ensuring that both do their job well independently.
It is almost impossible to merge both roles or render any of them redundant because they are both essential. If you eliminate project engineering, the project will be completed on time but with serious quality issues that might be risky.
On the other hand, if you eliminate project management, you will have a project engineer managing 10 jobs at once with no execution plan and no milestones to follow; it will be chaos, and you might end up finishing the project but with double the cost.
Project Engineers & Project Manager’s Salary
On average, Project managers usually make more than project engineers. But there is no huge salary gap between project engineers and project managers. On average, project engineers make around $95,000, while project managers make $101,000.
| Entry Level | Mid-Career | Senior Level | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Engineers | $65,000 | $95,000 | $140,000 |
| Project Managers | $86,500 | $101,000 | $158,000 |
For more details, read:
Why do project managers make more than project engineers? All will be explained in the next section.
Which Is More Senior Project Engineer Or Project Manager?
Project managers hold a more senior level than project engineers. This is because project managers have more responsibility as they look after the entire project from start to finish, and project engineers report to project managers. Therefore, project managers make more money than project engineers.
Which Is Harder, Project Management Or Project Engineering?
Both positions have their own challenges. Project engineering is a very technical position that requires engineering knowledge, while project management is a complete management position that requires an excellent understanding of cost, forecasting, budgeting and scheduling.
Both positions are very different in day-to-day tasks. Project engineers spend more time onsite than in the office, which means they mostly solve ongoing issues onsite while running the project. Project managers spend most of their time in the office running the project, which can also be challenging as they are always on the phone or in a meeting, giving them less time to do actual work.
Both careers can be challenging, fast-paced and stressful, as there is always an issue that needs to be addressed and solved. Every day has its challenges, and never two days are the same.
Project Engineers Vs Project Managers Work Hours
Both project managers and project engineers work long hours. On average, project managers work around 44.2 hours a week, while project engineers work around 46 hours a week.
We gathered those results by asking many project managers and engineers. You can read the results in detail here:
- We Asked 80 Project Managers: How Many Hours Do They Work?
- We Asked 100 Engineers How Many Hours Do They Work?
What Degree Do you Need To Become A Project Engineer & Project Manager & How long Does It Take?
While both jobs have different responsibilities, there is a common pathway to both careers. If you do a degree in engineering, you will have the opportunity to work in both careers as the course will teach you all the technical and management skills you need. Overall, an engineering degree takes around 4 years to complete. Construction projects will usually require a qualification in civil engineering.
On the other hand, you can become a project manager by doing a degree in construction management. This Degree will only teach you how to run projects. This means you can not work as a project or site engineer. A project management degree takes around 2 years to complete.
However, most employers would rather hire someone with an engineering degree than someone with a construction management degree, as the graduate will have more understanding and knowledge in construction.
Do Project Managers Start As Project Engineers?
Depending on the type of project, engineers usually start as site engineers and then progress as project engineers before becoming project managers.
However, in non-technical projects, you could skip the project engineer position and work as a project manager.
Sometimes you can work as a project manager straight away without having to work as a project engineer.
Is A Project Manager Considered An Engineer?
Project managers in technical and construction projects usually come from an engineering background since their knowledge helps them run the project effectively. In non-technical projects, project managers could come from management and even have a business degree.
However, someone with an engineering background usually has more options and work opportunities to work as a project manager than someone with non-engineering experience.
Can You Become A Self Taught Project Manager?
Depending on the type of project, someone can become a self-taught project manager.
However, it is almost impossible to hire a self-taught project manager for mega construction projects because there is a lot of technical knowledge required to succeed in this job. For more straightforward projects, such as building residential housing, it can be suitable for a self-taught project manager.
What Position Is Higher Than A Project Manager?
A division manager or director is a higher position than a project manager. They are in charge of several project managers and usually oversee several teams.
Project Engineer Vs Construction Engineer: What Is The Difference?
As the name suggests, project engineers are in charge of executing construction projects from a technical standpoint; they solve ongoing construction problems to finish the project on time and within budget. A construction engineer is a general title for project engineers, site engineers, and field engineers. However, in most cases, it refers to a site engineer as someone always present on site.
Project Manager Vs Civil Engineer: What Is The Difference?
The project manager, as the name suggests, is in charge of managing construction sites from start to finish. Project managers have a degree in civil engineering. A civil engineer is a broad title for many careers, such as project engineer, structural engineer and project manager. Hence you can call a project manager a civil engineer, but not every civil engineer is a project manager.
Project Engineering Vs Project Management: Which One Is For You
Project engineers are problem solvers who think quickly on their feet and make quick decisions on-site, while project managers run projects entirely from start to finish. Both careers have challenges and rewards. If you want to become any of them, you should have a degree in engineering.
For most cases, a degree in civil engineering is suitable for most cases. Choosing the best career path for you depends on your goals and objective. Most project managers start as project engineers. The experience gives them the tools later to succeed as project managers.
By now, you have learned the differences between the two, and you can make a choice. Both careers are rewarding, as I have worked as a project engineer and project manager. Both are challenging careers and sometimes fun.
