Project Engineer Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Project engineers in Tucson keep jobs on schedule and on budget, whether that means a Sundt or Granite construction site or a Raytheon production program near the airport. Posted ranges run from about $66,000 for entry-level construction roles to $165,000 for senior defense work. Current openings are below.
Current Project Engineer Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Project Engineer Work in Tucson
The title means two different jobs in Tucson, so read the posting before you apply. On the construction side it is the engineer who keeps a job moving: submittals, RFIs, change orders, quantity takeoffs, schedules and closeout. Sundt, the employee-owned contractor with a Tucson office, starts new graduates as field engineers and promotes them through Project Engineer I, II and Senior; its Tucson team has worked on projects such as the Tucson Convention Center improvements. Granite Construction hires project engineers for heavy civil work, and mechanical contractors such as Sun Mechanical Contracting hire them to run RFI, submittal and change order logs on commercial jobs.
On the defense side, a project engineer at Raytheon's campus off East Hermans Road, south of Tucson International Airport, is an experienced engineer who serves as the link between the factory and the program: sitting on change and review boards, managing bills of material and making sure the production floor is ready for the next hardware configuration. That version asks for several years of engineering or manufacturing experience and an active DoD Secret clearance. Both versions reward people who write clearly and can get answers from people who do not report to them.
Top Tucson Employers for Project Engineers
These Tucson employers hire project engineers:
- Sundt - employee-owned general contractor hiring field engineers and Project Engineer I, II and Senior for building and civil work out of its Tucson office.
- Granite Construction - heavy civil contractor hiring Tucson project engineers for estimating, takeoffs, scheduling and field support.
- Raytheon (RTX) - senior project engineers who connect the factory and the program on the Hermans Road campus; a Secret clearance is required on day one.
- Sun Mechanical Contracting - commercial mechanical contractor hiring project engineers to manage RFIs, submittals, change orders, schedules and closeout.
Project Engineer Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (0-3 years): roughly $60,000 to $75,000 per year.
- Experienced (4-8 years): roughly $80,000 to $115,000 per year.
- Senior project engineer (8+ years): roughly $110,000 to $150,000 per year, highest on cleared defense programs.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. For reference, a 2026 Sun Mechanical Contracting project engineer posting in Tucson listed about $66,000, a Granite Construction project engineer role asking for four or more years of experience listed $80,765 to $121,148, and a 2026 Raytheon Sr. Project Engineer posting listed $86,800 to $165,200. Contractors such as Sundt also advertise bonus eligibility and employee ownership.
How to Become a Project Engineer in Tucson
For construction, Sundt and Granite ask for a four-year degree in civil engineering, construction management or a related field, or equivalent technical training and field experience. Sundt's entry point is the Field Engineer I role; its Project Engineer I posting asks for three to four years of similar experience. The University of Arizona's Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics is the local four-year program, and Pima Community College's Pre-Engineering concentration at West Campus covers the first two years for transfer students. For defense, Raytheon's senior posting asks for a STEM bachelor's degree and five years of experience, or an advanced degree and three, plus U.S. citizenship and a Secret clearance. No Arizona license is required to work as a project engineer. The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration registers professional engineers, but the Tucson project engineer postings reviewed ask for a degree and experience, not a PE.
What the Job Involves
On a construction job, the week is submittals reviewed against the contract documents, RFIs to the design team, change orders and their cost impact, quantity takeoffs, meeting minutes and an updated schedule, with time on site checking the work. In a factory program, it is review boards, configuration changes, bills of material and the daily back-and-forth between engineering, production and the program office.
Skills Employers Look For
- Scheduling software, with Primavera named in Tucson postings
- Quantity takeoff, including AGTEK on heavy civil work
- Submittal, RFI and change order management
- Budget tracking and cost control
- Reading plans, specifications and contracts
- SAP or MRP experience for manufacturing programs
- Clear written communication
Career Path and Advancement
The construction ladder in Tucson is well defined: field engineer, Project Engineer I and II, senior project engineer, then project manager. Sundt spells out those steps in its postings. On the defense side, senior project engineers at Raytheon move toward manufacturing and program management. Utility capital work is another destination: UNS Energy, parent of Tucson Electric Power, hires project managers at levels I, II and Senior and lists a PMP and a PE as preferences for the senior level.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the roles project engineers most often come from or move into:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a project engineer and a project manager in Tucson?
On Tucson construction jobs, the project engineer handles submittals, RFIs, change orders, takeoffs and schedules and supports the project manager, who owns the contract, the budget and the client. Contractors like Sundt treat project engineer as the step before project manager. At Raytheon, a project engineer is an experienced engineer who links the factory to the program.
Do you need an engineering degree to be a project engineer in Tucson?
Not on the construction side. Sundt and Granite accept a construction management or related degree, or equivalent technical training and experience, and Granite also lists business administration. Raytheon's defense roles ask for a STEM degree plus several years of experience.
How much do project engineers make in Tucson?
Expect roughly $60,000 to $75,000 to start, $80,000 to $115,000 with experience, and up to about $150,000 for senior roles. A 2026 Raytheon Sr. Project Engineer posting reached $165,200 at the top of its range. These are estimates that vary by employer and experience.
Do project engineers need a PE license in Arizona?
Usually not. The Tucson project engineer postings reviewed ask for a degree and experience, not a PE. Engineers who stamp civil drawings do need a PE from the Arizona State Board of Technical Registration, and some senior utility project manager postings list it as a preference.
Which Tucson employers hire project engineers?
Sundt and Granite Construction hire on the construction side, along with specialty contractors such as Sun Mechanical Contracting. Raytheon hires senior project engineers for its factory programs near the airport. The live listings at the top of this page show who has openings today.
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