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Electrical systems engineer vs senior electrical engineer

The differences between electrical systems engineers and senior electrical 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 a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $86,969 average annual salary of an electrical systems engineer.

The top three skills for an electrical systems engineer include electrical engineering, electrical systems and system design. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.

Electrical systems engineer vs senior electrical engineer overview

Electrical Systems EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Yearly salary$86,969$109,315
Hourly rate$41.81$52.56
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs149,05382,639
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
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 a senior electrical engineer do?

A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.

Electrical systems engineer vs senior electrical engineer salary

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

Electrical Systems EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Average salary$86,969$109,315
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $113,000Between $82,000 And $144,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateNew JerseyWashington
Best paying companyMetaApple
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between electrical systems engineer and senior electrical engineer education

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

Electrical Systems EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Electrical systems engineer vs senior electrical engineer demographics

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

Electrical Systems EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 92.0% Female, 8.0%Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
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, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between electrical systems engineer and senior electrical 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

Senior electrical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Develop LabVIEW code to automate test procedures and to communicate with units for verification of functionality and accuracy.
  • Design of water/waste water facilities, including microprocessor controls, MCC, SCADA.
  • Develop the motor control algorithms and analog processing for sensing position using motor current feedback.
  • Train crews how to retrofit 2x4 fixtures.
  • Perform dc battery calculations and 2D design of system.
  • Have installed some electrical panel board according to NFPA standards.
  • Show more

Electrical systems engineer vs senior electrical engineer skills

Common electrical systems engineer skills
  • Electrical Engineering, 15%
  • Electrical Systems, 10%
  • System Design, 5%
  • C++, 4%
  • Autocad, 3%
  • CAD, 3%
Common senior electrical engineer skills
  • Control Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Equipment, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
  • Analog, 4%
  • RF, 4%
  • Electrical Design, 4%

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