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The differences between component design engineers and senior design 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 component design 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 $102,845 average annual salary of a component design engineer.
The top three skills for a component design engineer include CAD, component design and python. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Component Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,845 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $49.44 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 48,550 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
Component design engineers lead the development of a place, route, and synthesis solution for various node processes that include next-generation technologies. They must be willing to push these solutions by working with different engineers and stakeholders across geological and organizational boundaries. These engineers have a deep understanding of floor planning, DFT, placement techniques, etc., and usually have prior experience before making this their career. They are also in charge of deploying and supporting other engineering design teams working on different projects.
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.
Component design engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Component Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,845 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $136,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Folsom, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Resource Technology Corp/MI | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a component design engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Component Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between component design engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Component Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.3% Female, 15.7% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 25.1% White, 57.0% 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% |