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The differences between electrical designers and 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 an electrical designer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, which is higher than the $64,930 average annual salary of an electrical designer.
The top three skills for an electrical designer include revit, electrical design and autocad electrical. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Electrical Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $64,930 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $31.22 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,332 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An electrical designer designs and develops electrical circuit and system layouts for electric power distribution. The responsibilities of an electrical designer include assembling electrical panels and leading a team of document control personnel in-charged to identify and organize facility maintenance drawings. The position requires good initiative, writing, speaking, and mathematical skills to accomplish such responsibilities. The job's education requirements include possessing a college degree in electrical engineering, design, or a related field.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Electrical designers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $64,930 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $47,000 And $89,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Amd | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical designer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 47% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical designers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Designer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |