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The differences between directors of systems engineering and technical directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become a director of systems engineering, becoming a technical director takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a director of systems engineering has an average salary of $165,127, which is higher than the $131,719 average annual salary of a technical director.
The top three skills for a director of systems engineering include systems engineering, infrastructure and cloud. The most important skills for a technical director are business development, architecture, and technical expertise.
| Director Of Systems Engineering | Technical Director | |
| Yearly salary | $165,127 | $131,719 |
| Hourly rate | $79.39 | $63.33 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 8% |
| Number of jobs | 123,068 | 77,550 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
A director of systems engineering oversees the systems engineering department in a company, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently. Having more knowledge and experience in the field, they are in charge of setting goals and guidelines, managing budgets and timelines, conducting evaluations to ensure the efficiency of all systems and procedures, performing research and analysis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems, and implementing solutions against problem areas. Moreover, as director of systems engineering, they must lead and encourage the workforce to reach goals while enforcing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
A technical director is responsible for monitoring the technical efficiency of operations. Technical directors inspect audio and visual equipment, lighting systems for productions, and other technical processes. They ensure that all the equipment is in proper working condition, identify and troubleshoot defects, and deliver high-quality project results. They also monitor expenses, forecast sales reports, and create cost estimates for the systems needed for the project completion, following the clients' specifications to gain satisfaction. A technical director must have excellent communication and decision-making skills to manage operational processes with maximum accuracy.
Directors of systems engineering and technical directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Systems Engineering | Technical Director | |
| Average salary | $165,127 | $131,719 |
| Salary range | Between $113,000 And $239,000 | Between $86,000 And $200,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Nike | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director of systems engineering and a technical director in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Systems Engineering | Technical Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between directors of systems engineering' and technical directors' demographics:
| Director Of Systems Engineering | Technical Director | |
| Average age | 48 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 82.4% Female, 17.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 13.4% White, 70.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 14% |