Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between electronics design engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an electronics design engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, an electronics design engineer has an average salary of $100,371, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for an electronics design engineer include analog, power electronics and PCB. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Electronics Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $100,371 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $48.26 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 101,965 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An electronics design engineer is responsible for designing electronic materials and equipment to support various industrial operations and marketing processes. Electronics design engineers develop layouts according to business requirements and clients' specifications, including the budget limitations and timeframes. They also create reports of cost estimates and project feasibility, performing multiple diagnostic tests to identify inconsistencies and modifications before the final output deliverable. An electronics design engineer must have excellent mechanical and analytical skills, especially in handling design documentation and performing quality control procedures.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Electronics design engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronics Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $100,371 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $134,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electronics design engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electronics Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between electronics design engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Electronics Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |