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The differences between electrical project engineers and system 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 project engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, which is higher than the $84,342 average annual salary of an electrical project engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical project engineer include project management, autocad and PLC. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Electrical Project Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,342 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $40.55 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 67,802 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Electrical Project Engineers have licensed engineers involved in a project which specifically works on electrical or electricity-related concerns. They design the electrical systems that are needed for the success of the project. They draw up these systems using software and identify the materials needed to create these. They would then develop these systems by creating them using the materials and test if their design is working. Once they validate the design works and address the project's needs, electrical project engineers would work on controlling, maintaining, and repairing these systems as needed.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Electrical project engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Project Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,342 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $109,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an electrical project engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Project Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 78% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical project engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Project Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.9% Female, 7.1% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |