Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electrical test 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 test engineer and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, an electrical design engineer has an average salary of $83,944, which is higher than the $74,723 average annual salary of an electrical test engineer.
The top three skills for an electrical test engineer include data analysis, labview and C++. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,723 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $35.92 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 69,793 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
An electrical test engineer specializes in developing test structures to ensure the quality and efficiency of electrical systems and equipment. Among their responsibilities include understanding and identifying the needs of electrical projects, troubleshooting errors, gathering and analyzing materials to find defects and inconsistencies, conducting tests and examinations, and analyzing test results. Moreover, an electrical test engineer must also study and identify the root of problems, recommending and implementing solutions while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
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 test engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,723 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electrical test engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electrical test engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% 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% |