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The differences between associate electrical engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an associate electrical engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, which is higher than the $71,773 average annual salary of an associate electrical engineer.
The top three skills for an associate electrical engineer include electrical components, electrical equipment and RF. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Associate Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $71,773 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $34.51 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 31,707 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An associate electrical engineer is responsible for organizing and developing electrical systems, improving existing components, and designing infrastructure under the guidance of the senior electrical engineer. Associate electrical engineers identify cost-reduction materials and analyze current electrical industry trends to determine efficient products and equipment that support public demands and industrial use. They collaborate testing methods with the engineering team, suggest project improvement techniques, and perform quality assurance procedures to stabilize the electrical system's optimal performance.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Associate electrical engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $71,773 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $51,000 And $100,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an associate electrical engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 51% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between associate electrical engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Associate Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.6% Female, 13.4% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |