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The differences between design engineers and electrical 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 engineer, becoming an electrical design engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an electrical design engineer has an average salary of $83,944, 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 electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,134 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $37.08 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 138,173 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Design engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,134 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $102,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |