Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between design verification engineers and senior design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a design verification engineer, becoming a senior design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design verification engineer has an average salary of $117,277, which is higher than the $104,698 average annual salary of a senior design engineer.
The top three skills for a design verification engineer include python, UVM and design verification. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Design Verification Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $117,277 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $56.38 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 65,429 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A design verification engineer is responsible for running diagnostic tests on project outputs and adjusting methodologies as needed to achieve high-quality deliverables according to clients' specifications and business requirements. Design verification engineers create efficient techniques to improve products and services by utilizing various system tools and applications. They also design engineering protocols by analyzing previous test designs and calibrating them with the team. A design verification engineer must have excellent technical skills, as well as highly-communicative and organizational, especially on meeting deadlines and working under minimal supervision.
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 verification engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Verification Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $117,277 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $154,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Technology |
There are a few differences between a design verification engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Design Verification Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between design verification engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Design Verification Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.3% Female, 14.7% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 39.9% White, 43.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 4% | 5% |