Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between design release 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 release engineer and a senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $98,886 average annual salary of a design release engineer.
The top three skills for a design release engineer include DFMEA, dvp r and DVP. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Design Release Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,886 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $47.54 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 103,172 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A design release engineer is responsible for creating and evaluating technology and mechanical designs used for commercial and industrial equipment to support business operations and customer activities. Design release engineers utilize various software applications and tools to implement design models according to business requirements and client specifications. They also identify the estimated costs and resources for the production by negotiating with trusted suppliers and vendors for materials that meet the highest quality standards. A design release engineer reviews the outputs before the launch to resolve possible issues and adjust design features as needed.
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 release engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Release Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,886 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $134,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Waymo | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design release engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Release Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | 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 release engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Design Release Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.8% Female, 12.2% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 15.4% White, 68.0% 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% |