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The differences between design engineers and architects 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 engineer, becoming an architect takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an architect has an average salary of $86,635, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a design engineer include C++, UL and project management. The most important skills for an architect are cloud, java, and infrastructure.
| Design Engineer | Architect | |
| Yearly salary | $77,134 | $86,635 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $41.65 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 138,173 | 94,621 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Architects are licensed professionals who specialize in art and science of design, building constructions, and structures. They play a vital role in the construction and not only responsible for the appearance but also the safety of users. They ensure that every structure is functional, safe, cost-effective, and suit the needs of the future occupants. They closely monitor the working progress to make sure that the project is built according to plan. Some architects are focused mainly on creating designs while some are exclusive in the production of building plans or "blueprints".
Design engineers and architects have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Architect | |
| Average salary | $77,134 | $86,635 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $54,000 And $137,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and an architect in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Architect | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Architecture |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Cornell University |
Here are the differences between design engineers' and architects' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Architect | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 76.7% Female, 23.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 2.3% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.8% Asian, 16.0% White, 65.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 15% |