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Electrical designer vs system design engineer

The differences between electrical designers 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 designer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, 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 system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.

Electrical designer vs system design engineer overview

Electrical DesignerSystem Design Engineer
Yearly salary$64,930$107,704
Hourly rate$31.22$51.78
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs82,332113,582
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does an electrical designer do?

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.

What does a system design engineer do?

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 designer vs system design engineer salary

Electrical designers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical DesignerSystem Design Engineer
Average salary$64,930$107,704
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $89,000Between $77,000 And $149,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyAmdMeta
Best paying industryManufacturingAutomotive

Differences between electrical designer and system design engineer education

There are a few differences between an electrical designer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:

Electrical DesignerSystem Design Engineer
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 47%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical designer vs system design engineer demographics

Here are the differences between electrical designers' and system design engineers' demographics:

Electrical DesignerSystem Design Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 82.9% Female, 17.1%Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8%
Race ratioBlack 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical designer and system design engineer duties and responsibilities

Electrical designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage database for PDF drawings and other electronic files.
  • Design control systems to NFPA, UL, and CE specifications to comply with country-specific standards.
  • Work conduct using PDMS, NavisWorks and AutoCAD.
  • Used INTOOLS to input instrument tags into index, customize reports & import data from PDMS into INTOOLS.
  • Integrate electrical & electronic designs into custom automation equipment using 2D & 3D design software (AutoCAD & SolidWorks).
  • Convert various units to DCS for ExxonMobil.
  • Show more

System design engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and harmonize cooperation between architect, structure engineer, HVAC engineer, plumping engineer, and electrical engineer.
  • Lead the PCB design effort including component layout/placement, handling of critical nets, and test issues including PCB scan.
  • Apply technical knowledge in electromagnetic theory and microwave technology to plan and manage projects concern with ground-base radar systems.
  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Design system level test hardware for the IC designers from QFN packages to highly dense FPGA.
  • Assist in the electrical design and generate drawings utilizing AutoCAD.
  • Show more

Electrical designer vs system design engineer skills

Common electrical designer skills
  • Revit, 14%
  • Electrical Design, 11%
  • Autocad Electrical, 5%
  • UL, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%
Common system design engineer skills
  • System Design, 11%
  • Architecture, 8%
  • MATLAB, 7%
  • C++, 5%
  • CAD, 5%
  • Project Management, 3%

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