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The differences between electrical engineers lead 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 engineer lead, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an electrical engineer lead has an average salary of $111,251, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical engineer lead include electrical engineering, autocad and engineering design. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,251 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $53.49 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,196 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
An electrical engineer lead is an engineering professional who works with clients and internal engineers to establish project requirements and work on multiple electrical projects. Electrical engineer leads provide the cost estimation of electrical projects and prepare budget proposals as well as assign personnel with the capabilities required to complete the assigned tasks. They are required to review the calculation methods to ensure that they comply with all regulatory and project requirements. Electrical engineer leads must also accurately check the electrical design calculations for electrical loads, short circuit, and voltage drop using standard electrical engineering software.
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 engineers lead and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,251 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $148,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineer lead and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | 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 engineers lead' and design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | 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% |