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The differences between electronics 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 engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, an electronics engineer has an average salary of $93,985, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for an electronics engineer include analog, RF and power electronics. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Electronics Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,985 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $45.19 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 83,870 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An electronics engineer specializes in designing and developing electronic components and systems, ensuring efficiency in all aspects. They are primarily responsible for conducting tests and maintenance for systems, identifying any faults or inconsistencies, and performing corrective measures right away. Moreover, an electronics engineer must coordinate with clients to consult them on their needs and meet with other skilled engineers to ensure optimal quality of equipment. An electronics engineer may also perform administrative tasks, mainly to produce progress reports and presentations, manage schedules, and craft instructional written materials for all electronic systems.
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 engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Electronics Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,985 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $129,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an electronics engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Electronics Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Electronics Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.8% White, 63.0% 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% |