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The differences between electrical design engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both an electrical design engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical design engineer include electrical design, revit and electrical systems. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $83,944 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $40.36 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 87,121 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Electrical design engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $83,944 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $110,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical design engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical design engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |