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The differences between electrical engineering project managers 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 engineering project manager and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, an electrical engineering project manager has an average salary of $87,900, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical engineering project manager include electrical engineering, project management and autocad. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Electrical Engineering Project Manager | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $87,900 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $42.26 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 131,380 | 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 engineering project manager spearheads and manages engineering projects, ensuring operations adhere to goals and budgets. Part of their job is to participate in identifying and meeting project requirements, set daily objectives and guidelines, manage project teams, and monitor processes, addressing and resolving issues should there be any. They may also liaise and negotiate with external parties, building positive relationships in the process. Moreover, being an electrical engineering project manager, they have the responsibility to lead and encourage the workforce to reach project goals while implementing company policies and standards.
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 engineering project managers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Engineering Project Manager | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $87,900 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $114,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Livermore, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Washington |
| Best paying company | Calpine | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical engineering project manager and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Engineering Project Manager | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical engineering project managers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Engineering Project Manager | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% 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% |