omg
dont mislead pls....

by assosiate engineer, do u mean the title?
it must be, because it not a position. well, some companies do make the title as the position.

assosiate engineer is a title u get after u register with engineering bodies like IEM or BEM. Only years of experience and series of exams n tests.
You will get the title IR in front of ur name. Like Dr. but this is IR.

By this title, you have extra privilage to approve certain things like drawings, designs and whatsoever related to ur profession.

Not to mention that you can register and start a consultancy office. Companies must have 3rd party consultants to get certain things approve and this is where u will get the big bucks

THIS is what u get from "associate" in dictionary.com

1. A person united with another or others in an act, enterprise, or business; a partner or colleague.
2. A companion; a comrade.
3. One that habitually accompanies or is associated with another; an attendant circumstance.
4. A member of an institution or society who is granted only partial status or privileges.
5. often Associate An associate's degree.

adj : having partial rights and privileges or subordinate status; "an associate member"; "an associate professor"

and that is just associate, not associate engineer.
ask ur lecturer for christ sake.

there's just too many ppl giving wrong infos here.
and yes, im an engineering grad

resident engineer
senior resident engineer
these are eg of standard international titles

senior engineer
junior engineer
pratise engineer
all oso company sendiri cincai give

like - sales executive - can be really an executive o just a salesboy
health n safety officer - really a qualified personnel or just general worker

you dont call IR - associate engineer or profesional engineer. u call them IR or just engineer

oic
i might be wrong then
my apologies to all


but really, assistant engineer is total bs