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The differences between design manufacturing engineers 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 manufacturing engineer and a senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $102,492 average annual salary of a design manufacturing engineer.
The top three skills for a design manufacturing engineer include CNC, continuous improvement and GD. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $102,492 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $49.27 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 127,555 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A design manufacturing engineer specializes in designing and developing manufacturing systems and equipment. They primarily conduct research and analyses, develop drafts and prototypes, set and implement test systems, troubleshoot issues, and maintain extensive records. They may also assess existing systems to identify their weaknesses and strengths, fix or repair components, perform adjustments, and provide technical support to staff as necessary. Moreover, a design manufacturing engineer empowers staff to reach goals and implements safety standards and policies for a safe and productive work environment.
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 manufacturing engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $102,492 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $147,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design manufacturing engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design manufacturing engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Design Manufacturing Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 12.6% White, 69.6% 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% |