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The differences between electrical engineers lead and senior staff 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 senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $111,251 average annual salary of an electrical engineer lead.
The top three skills for an electrical engineer lead include electrical engineering, autocad and engineering design. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $111,251 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $53.49 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,196 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Electrical engineers lead and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $111,251 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $148,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Airbnb | |
| Best paying industry | Construction | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineer lead and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between electrical engineers lead' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Engineer Lead | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.2% Female, 6.8% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |