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The differences between design engineer interns 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 engineer internship and a staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, 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 staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Design Engineer Internship | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $55,346 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $26.61 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 139,842 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| 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.
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 engineer interns and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer Internship | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $55,346 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $79,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Ampere | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a design engineer internship and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer Internship | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between design engineer interns' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer Internship | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.1% Female, 15.9% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |