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Electrical engineer lead vs electrical designer

The differences between electrical engineers lead and electrical designers 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 designer. Additionally, an electrical engineer lead has an average salary of $111,251, which is higher than the $64,930 average annual salary of an electrical designer.

The top three skills for an electrical engineer lead include electrical engineering, autocad and engineering design. The most important skills for an electrical designer are revit, electrical design, and autocad electrical.

Electrical engineer lead vs electrical designer overview

Electrical Engineer LeadElectrical Designer
Yearly salary$111,251$64,930
Hourly rate$53.49$31.22
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs82,19682,332
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Associate Degree, 47%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does an electrical engineer lead do?

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.

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.

Electrical engineer lead vs electrical designer salary

Electrical engineers lead and electrical designers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical Engineer LeadElectrical Designer
Average salary$111,251$64,930
Salary rangeBetween $83,000 And $148,000Between $47,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateWashingtonCalifornia
Best paying companyGoogleAmd
Best paying industryConstructionManufacturing

Differences between electrical engineer lead and electrical designer education

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

Electrical Engineer LeadElectrical Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 74%Associate Degree, 47%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical engineer lead vs electrical designer demographics

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

Electrical Engineer LeadElectrical Designer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 93.2% Female, 6.8%Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1%
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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.2% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical engineer lead and electrical designer duties and responsibilities

Electrical engineer lead example responsibilities.

  • Manage electrical, mechanical, system, test engineers, PCB designers, technicians and suppliers to meet customer delivery expectations.
  • Manage and perform verification activities to insure device meet all safety and EMC requirements.
  • Perform electrical power calculations by using SKM and ETAP software.
  • Review inter-discipline documents, design and AutoCAD drawings in relation to consistency, accuracy, NEC and Alaska code requirements.
  • Develop acceptance test and test strategies for digital and analog systems using various automate test equipment.
  • Provide EMI failure debugging and suggest fixes.
  • Show more

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

Electrical engineer lead vs electrical designer skills

Common electrical engineer lead skills
  • Electrical Engineering, 15%
  • Autocad, 5%
  • Engineering Design, 5%
  • Renewable Energy, 4%
  • NEC, 4%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
Common electrical designer skills
  • Revit, 14%
  • Electrical Design, 11%
  • Autocad Electrical, 5%
  • UL, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%

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