How Do I Become a Project Engineer? A Career Overview

A project engineer combines project management skills with technical expertise to oversee the project lifecycle from conception to completion. Their primary goal is to deliver complex projects that meet technical standards on time and within budget. In the following article, you'll learn more about the role of a project engineer and how to become one. If you're ready to prepare for your first project engineering role, start today with Rice University's online Engineering Project Management Specialization.

What is a project engineer?

Project engineering is the management of technical projects by engineering professionals with leadership skills. It typically includes project planning, product design, resource allocation, overseeing technical activities, and ensuring effective communications between technical staff. Industries staffing project engineering roles include construction, architecture, energy, health care, and manufacturing.

Are you an engineer eyeing a project engineer role as the next step in your career? You can build essential AI and technical project management skills while earning credentials from an industry leader by enrolling in the Google Project Management Professional Certificate program:

Why is project engineering important?

Project engineering is important because project managers are not necessarily trained in a technical specialty. While project managers have the skills to manage a project, they may need a deeper understanding of the technical elements needed to deliver project outcomes. Project engineers are more hands-on, taking on some of the ground-level work including monitoring standards, and applying technical knowledge.  

What does a project engineer do?

Project engineers have a wide scope of responsibilities requiring workplace skills like time management and a strong technical understanding of their field. Specific tasks can vary depending on the industry, but the majority of project engineers handle the following tasks:

• Preparing project schedules and setting goals

• Projecting costs and setting budgets

• Adhering to regulatory standards and technical specifications

• Working with project managers to deliver project objectives

• Reviewing engineering deliverables

• Managing materials and resources

• Communicating with clients, project engineers, project managers, and project workers

• Submitting reports on project status and updates

Project engineer salary and job outlook

As of October 2024, the average project engineer salary in the US is $126,000 [2]. Compensation is influenced by industry, location, years of experience, and company.

While the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) doesn't compile specific data on the job outlook for project engineers, we can gain insight from the 7 percent projected job growth rate between 2023 and 2033 for project management specialist roles [1].

Read more: Project Engineer Salary: Your 2024 Guide

Required technical and workplace skills

In this role, you'll need to handle many different aspects of complex projects. Your technical skills represent the practical aspects of your role, such as your knowledge of technical specifications. Your workplace skills relate to how you perform in a work environment, for example, in collaborating with other project managers and engineers.

Read more: Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills: What's the Difference?

Workplace skills

• Communication skills

• Listening

• Creativity

• Collaboration

• Problem-solving

• Leadership

• Decision making

• Performance and team management

Technical skills

• Project management

• Business administration

• Quality assurance and control

• AutoCAD

• Construction management

• Engineering design

• OSHA compliance

• Math

• Budgeting

How to become a project engineer

Project engineers are experts in their field, so your qualifications and level of experience must demonstrate this to be a competitive candidate for this role. The following sections explore education requirements and examples of project engineering jobs.

Education

While the industry does not have a standard project engineering degree course, subjects such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil engineering are popular choices. According to Zippia, 77 percent of project engineers have a bachelor’s degree, 12 percent have a master’s degree, and 8 percent have an associate degree, with mechanical engineering being the most popular major [3]. The major you choose depends on the type of industry you want to work in.

Experience

Gaining experience is essential in becoming a project engineer, with employers typically asking for between two and four years of experience in a relevant field. However, it’s possible to enter entry-level roles with less experience. This would place you in a good position to move up and receive on-the-job training, depending on your employer. You might consider earning certifications or completing certificate programs to fill the gaps in your resume.

To gain experience project engineers generally start out as engineers since a project engineer is a mid-to-senior-level position that requires experience in the field. Alongside this, you can work on developing your project management skills. Internships are another way to gain experience as an engineer.

Certifications

Certifications are a great way to boost your credentials and showcase your skills and expertise. For example, in some states and industries, you might consider applying for a professional engineering license, which allows you to apply for leadership roles and other higher-level positions.

For certification, you might consider the following options, which relate to both the technical and project management aspects of the role:

• PMI Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) is designed for those looking to start an entry-level project management role. 

• PMI Project Management Professional Certificate (PMP) is a globally recognized project management certification that showcases your ability to manage people, processes, and business priorities. 

• OSHA Safety & Health Fundamentals Certification is an official certificate that shows your knowledge in safety compliance to prevent dangerous working conditions. 

Read more: What Is the CAPM Certification? Requirements and More

Industries hiring project engineers

Working as a project engineer gives you options to work in a range of industries. Usually, you’ll base the industry you choose on your technical qualifications, like the degree major you study. Industries hiring project engineers include:

• Information technology

• Aerospace engineering 

• Automation engineering

• Civil engineering

• Petroleum engineering 

• Production engineering 

• Mechanical engineering 

• Electrical engineering

As a project engineer, you can also gain work through consultancy companies.

Read more: What Does a Consultant Do?

Top companies hiring project engineers

According to Glassdoor, the top companies hiring project engineers as of October 2024 are as follows [4]:

• JPMorgan Chase

• IBM

• Honeywell

• AT&T

• Deloitte

Prepare for your project engineering role with Coursera

Gain comprehensive, university-led training in engineering project management with the offered by Rice University. Upon completion, you'll earn a certificate for your resume, CV, or LinkedIn.

If you’re an engineer transitioning into a project engineering role, a great strategy is gaining some skills and credentials in leadership and management. Consider earning a certificate from a tech industry leader like the