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The differences between acoustical engineers and staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an acoustical engineer and a staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $93,808 average annual salary of an acoustical engineer.
The top three skills for an acoustical engineer include transducers, data analysis and DSP. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Acoustical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,808 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $45.10 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 74,331 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An acoustical engineer works primarily with sound; they reduce noise pollution in areas like construction sites and airports. Noise pollution is particularly hard to contain, which means an acoustical engineer is essential to manage the potential hazards of constant high-decibel sounds. Their job involves inspecting a location, determining the loudest areas, recommending measures to minimize noise pollution, and implementing all approved recommendations.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Acoustical engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Acoustical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,808 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $126,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an acoustical engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Acoustical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between acoustical engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Acoustical Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 15.7% White, 68.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |