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The differences between design engineer interns and senior design 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 engineer internship and a senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $55,346 average annual salary of a design engineer internship.
The top three skills for a design engineer internship include python, RF and C++. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Design Engineer Internship | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $55,346 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 139,842 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
When it comes to a design engineer internship, an intern is primarily responsible for performing support tasks while under the supervision and directives of a manager or a more experienced engineer. Their duties typically revolve around processing documents, updating records and populating databases, responding to inquiries and correspondence, running errands, sharing insights, and even participating in designing projects. Furthermore, as an intern, it is essential to report to the supervising manager and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
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.
Design engineer interns and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer Internship | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $55,346 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Ampere | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design engineer internship and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer Internship | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design engineer interns' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer Internship | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 5% |