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Electrical systems engineer vs electrical designer

The differences between electrical systems engineers 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 systems engineer and an electrical designer. Additionally, an electrical systems engineer has an average salary of $86,969, which is higher than the $64,930 average annual salary of an electrical designer.

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

Electrical systems engineer vs electrical designer overview

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Designer
Yearly salary$86,969$64,930
Hourly rate$41.81$31.22
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs149,05382,332
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Associate Degree, 47%
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 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 systems engineer vs electrical designer salary

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

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Designer
Average salary$86,969$64,930
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $113,000Between $47,000 And $89,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyCalifornia
Best paying companyMetaAmd
Best paying industryAutomotiveManufacturing

Differences between electrical systems engineer and electrical designer education

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

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Designer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Associate Degree, 47%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical systems engineer vs electrical designer demographics

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

Electrical Systems EngineerElectrical Designer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 92.0% Female, 8.0%Male, 82.9% Female, 17.1%
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, 4.8% 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 systems engineer and electrical designer 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 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 systems engineer vs electrical designer skills

Common electrical systems engineer skills
  • Electrical Engineering, 15%
  • Electrical Systems, 10%
  • System Design, 5%
  • C++, 4%
  • Autocad, 3%
  • CAD, 3%
Common electrical designer skills
  • Revit, 14%
  • Electrical Design, 11%
  • Autocad Electrical, 5%
  • UL, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Schematics, 4%

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