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The differences between advanced engineers and senior design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an advanced engineer, becoming a senior design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $85,139 average annual salary of an advanced engineer.
The top three skills for an advanced engineer include C++, python and MATLAB. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Advanced Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,139 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $40.93 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 63,830 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
The duties of an advanced engineer primarily depend on their place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify project requirements, conceptualizing plans, designing and developing systems, establishing guidelines and goals, and creating strategies to optimize operations. They may also assess existing systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, an advanced engineer typically oversees staff performance and progress, all while enforcing the company's safety standards and regulations.
A senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
Advanced engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Advanced Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,139 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $104,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Technology |
There are a few differences between an advanced engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Advanced Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between advanced engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Advanced Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.2% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |