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The differences between design development engineers and staff 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 design development engineer and a staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $92,179 average annual salary of a design development engineer.
The top three skills for a design development engineer include solidworks, FEA and C++. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Design Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,179 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $44.32 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 174,870 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Design development engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for testing products for various industries such as electronics and synthetic textiles. These engineers must collaborate with the research and development (R&D;) organization to carry out initial new product development projects. They are required to coordinate a project with clients and consultants to ensure the approval of project permits and construction feasibility. Design development engineers must also possess skills in using software such as SolidWorks to model complex product parts and components.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Design development engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,179 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $124,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a design development engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between design development engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Design Development Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.0% White, 67.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |