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Electrical systems engineer vs electrical design engineer

The differences between electrical systems engineers 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 systems engineer and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, an electrical systems engineer has an average salary of $86,969, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.

The top three skills for an electrical systems engineer include electrical engineering, electrical systems and system design. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.

Electrical systems engineer vs electrical design engineer overview

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Design Engineer
Yearly salary$86,969$83,944
Hourly rate$41.81$40.36
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs149,05387,121
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does an electrical systems engineer do?

Electrical Systems Engineers have licensed engineers who are usually employed in companies involved in power generating machines and activities. These companies are usually providers for buildings, train systems, and automobiles, among others. The engineer designs power lines and machinations to generate power. They ensure that power is properly distributed throughout the system. They identify risks involving short circuits and the like. They would then look for ways to mitigate these risks and apply the necessary controls. Electrical Systems Engineers should have strong analytical skills and quick decision-making skills.

What does an electrical design engineer do?

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 systems engineer vs electrical design engineer salary

Electrical systems engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Design Engineer
Average salary$86,969$83,944
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $113,000Between $63,000 And $110,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyMetaApple
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between electrical systems engineer and electrical design engineer education

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

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Design Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 75%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical systems engineer vs electrical design engineer demographics

Here are the differences between electrical systems engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Design Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 92.0% Female, 8.0%Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.9% 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 Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical systems engineer and electrical design engineer duties and responsibilities

Electrical systems engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead RF characterization efforts of implantable medical device in order to determine safety limit.
  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Generate FEA analyses for major system components and heavy-use parts.
  • Radio testing are done to assure both performance measurements, EMI & EMC meet spec.
  • Provide guidelines for CE certification update and compliance [CE, UL, CSA, and TUV].
  • Install and troubleshoot systems wiring according to technical drawing package.
  • Show more

Electrical design engineer example responsibilities.

  • Utilize LabView software package to automate testing.
  • Used Perl and Linux script to help automate the ASIC design and test flow.
  • Work with approval agencies to achieve UL, CSA, CE, FCC and IC certifications.
  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Perform RF checkout, aperture field probing and user sign-off of chambers and test equipment for various types of chambers.
  • Analyze and simulate low power circuits, front-end amplifiers and develop analog signal conditioning circuitry interfacing the digital control systems.
  • Show more

Electrical systems engineer vs electrical design engineer skills

Common electrical systems engineer skills
  • Electrical Engineering, 15%
  • Electrical Systems, 10%
  • System Design, 5%
  • C++, 4%
  • Autocad, 3%
  • CAD, 3%
Common electrical design engineer skills
  • Electrical Design, 10%
  • Revit, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • CAD, 4%
  • Analog, 4%
  • Engineering Design, 4%

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