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The differences between communications 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 a communications engineer and a senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $83,540 average annual salary of a communications engineer.
The top three skills for a communications engineer include RF, unified communications and unity. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Communications Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,540 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $40.16 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 71,942 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The duties of a communications engineer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Their responsibilities typically revolve around designing and developing new systems to optimize operations, performing research and assessments to identify company needs, determining the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and providing solutions on issues and concerns. Furthermore, as a communications engineer, it is essential to perform regular maintenance checks to ensure a safe and productive work environment, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Communications engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Communications Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,540 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $111,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Shearman & Sterling | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a communications engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Communications Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between communications engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Communications Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.7% Female, 11.3% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% 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 | 6% | 5% |