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Director of sales engineering vs senior sales engineer

The differences between directors of sales engineering and senior sales engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a director of sales engineering, becoming a senior sales engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director of sales engineering has an average salary of $145,655, which is higher than the $116,026 average annual salary of a senior sales engineer.

The top three skills for a director of sales engineering include pre sales, cloud and product management. The most important skills for a senior sales engineer are pre sales, cloud, and product demonstrations.

Director of sales engineering vs senior sales engineer overview

Director Of Sales EngineeringSenior Sales Engineer
Yearly salary$145,655$116,026
Hourly rate$70.03$55.78
Growth rate5%6%
Number of jobs111,38181,179
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age4644
Years of experience86

What does a director of sales engineering do?

A Director of Sales Engineering spearheads and oversees a company's sales engineering operations. They have the authority to make corporate decisions, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines and timelines, liaise and build positive relationships with external business partners, and develop strategies to optimize workflow and workforce operations. They must also monitor the progress of operations and address issues and concerns. A Director of Sales Engineering leads and encourages staff to reach goals, all while promoting and implementing safety standards and policies.

What does a senior sales engineer do?

A senior sales engineer is responsible for assisting the marketing and sales team on the technical aspect of operations. Senior sales engineers help the team to structure efficient deliverables and high-quality outputs using their technical expertise for requirements. They identify business opportunities by analyzing sales movements and conducting statistical data management that would generate more revenue resources and attract business partnerships. A senior sales engineer recommends process improvement techniques to meet client requirements and specifications within budget limitations and deadlines.

Director of sales engineering vs senior sales engineer salary

Directors of sales engineering and senior sales engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Of Sales EngineeringSenior Sales Engineer
Average salary$145,655$116,026
Salary rangeBetween $104,000 And $202,000Between $86,000 And $154,000
Highest paying CityTigard, ORWashington, DC
Highest paying stateOregonVirginia
Best paying companyInstabaseTesla
Best paying industryTelecommunicationProfessional

Differences between director of sales engineering and senior sales engineer education

There are a few differences between a director of sales engineering and a senior sales engineer in terms of educational background:

Director Of Sales EngineeringSenior Sales Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 70%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Director of sales engineering vs senior sales engineer demographics

Here are the differences between directors of sales engineering' and senior sales engineers' demographics:

Director Of Sales EngineeringSenior Sales Engineer
Average age4644
Gender ratioMale, 93.0% Female, 7.0%Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 1.6% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.1% White, 77.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between director of sales engineering and senior sales engineer duties and responsibilities

Director of sales engineering example responsibilities.

  • Manage the design and development of Kryterion software-as-a-service (SAAS) products.
  • Support the design and deployment of an IP multicast application by managing the pilot program.
  • Support multiple client web application in SaaS manage services environment.
  • Manage relationships with toll manufacturers and logistics providers to exceed cost reduction and inventory turn targets.
  • Initiate regional campaign to assess and grow field readiness of sales team to effectively communicate corporate software solutions and capabilities.
  • Develop the largest aerospace aftermarket business in the company world-wide.
  • Show more

Senior sales engineer example responsibilities.

  • Create tools to manage customer projects, such as standardized proposals, technical templates, and SQL tracking database.
  • Provide pre-sales, complex technical solutions for client voice/data applications with sales team.
  • Coordinate all pre-sales support resources including product development, engineering, and technical support.
  • Perform equipment configuration of DSLAM equipment, routers, and switches.
  • Establish software value and drive customer sales by establishing ROI and TCO initiatives.
  • Develop complex data models and implement complex workflows using webhooks, javascript and multiple APIs.
  • Show more

Director of sales engineering vs senior sales engineer skills

Common director of sales engineering skills
  • Pre Sales, 13%
  • Cloud, 10%
  • Product Management, 9%
  • Professional Services, 5%
  • Sales Process, 4%
  • Customer Feedback, 4%
Common senior sales engineer skills
  • Pre Sales, 8%
  • Cloud, 6%
  • Product Demonstrations, 6%
  • Product Management, 5%
  • Technical Expertise, 4%
  • RFI, 4%

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