An assistant engineer is an engineer who works under the supervising or senior engineer. These professionals can work in a variety of engineering industries and provide assistance to engineers working on large-scale projects that require a large team of engineers to complete a project.

Education

Most employers require at least an associate's degree in an engineering discipline. Employment and advancement opportunities may increase for those who obtain a bachelor's degree in a related engineering discipline. Most employers involved with infrastructure development require no less than a bachelor's degree.

Types

Most employers who employ assistant engineers provide services for large-scale, complex engineering projects that require engineers with extensive experience, as well as engineers with minimal experience to handle smaller engineering responsibilities. An assistant engineer requires more skills than a drafter or computer-aided (CAD) design professional and can work in almost every engineering discipline such as civil, mechanical, electrical, manufacturing, chemical and biomedical engineering.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of a senior engineer or professional engineer (PE), an assistant participates in the development and execution of engineering projects. This may include design, implementation and testing. The assistant also provides statistical reports and data on the engineering project to carefully document the process, provide necessary invoicing, purchase needed materials and equipment. This can involve defining and developing policies and procedures for engineering projects being developed as well. Work may involve travel to project sites to provide field research and ensure projects are completed in a timely manner and within budget guidelines.

Job Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expected overall engineering employment to increase 11 percent between 2008 and 2018. Growth is expected to increase significantly in biomedical engineering which focuses on medical technology, and civil engineering which focuses on infrastructure projects.

Salary

Salary for assistant engineers depend on the technical requirements of the position, experience and other factors. Online jobs website Indeed showed an average salary of $52,000 for this occupation as of 2014.