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The differences between chief electrical engineers and lead engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a chief electrical engineer, becoming a lead engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief electrical engineer has an average salary of $94,236, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a chief electrical engineer include OSHA, control systems and HVAC. The most important skills for a lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Chief Electrical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,236 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $45.31 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 40,858 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Chief electrical engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Electrical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,236 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $73,000 And $121,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Andover, MA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Waters | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a chief electrical engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Electrical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chief electrical engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Chief Electrical Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |