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The differences between electrical engineers lead and electrical 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 engineer lead and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, an electrical engineer lead has an average salary of $111,251, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical engineer lead include electrical engineering, autocad and engineering design. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,251 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $53.49 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 82,196 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
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.
Electrical engineers lead and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,251 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $148,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineer lead and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical engineers lead' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |