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The differences between design development engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a design development engineer, becoming a system design engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, 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 system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Design Development Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,179 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $44.32 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 174,870 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Design development engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Development Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,179 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $124,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a design development engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Development Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design development engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Design Development Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.5% Female, 12.5% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |