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The differences between automotive engineers and senior 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 automotive engineer and a senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $82,211 average annual salary of an automotive engineer.
The top three skills for an automotive engineer include CAD, ISO and adaptive. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Automotive Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,211 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $39.52 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 104,464 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An automotive engineer specializes in designing and developing vehicles for public or private use. Their job entails conducting extensive research and analyses, conceptualizing plans with fellow experts, building prototypes and structures, troubleshooting problems, and implementing multiple test procedures to identify how the vehicle operates at different conditions and ensure its quality adheres to standards and regulations. Besides developing new vehicles, an automotive engineer may also modify existing models, which requires them to study the market and consumers' feedback, identify the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and coordinate upgrades.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Automotive engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automotive Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,211 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $118,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Belmont, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Cal | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an automotive engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automotive Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between automotive engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Automotive Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 15.9% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 5% |