Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electrical test 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 test engineer and a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, 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 a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,723 | $109,315 |
| Hourly rate | $35.92 | $52.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 69,793 | 82,639 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
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 test engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electrical Test Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,723 | $109,315 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $98,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
| 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 a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 senior electrical engineers' demographics:
| Electrical Test Engineer | Senior Electrical Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.4% Female, 8.6% | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% |
| 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, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |