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The differences between engineering managers and senior engineering managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes More than 10 years to become both an engineering manager and a senior engineering manager. Additionally, a senior engineering manager has an average salary of $155,753, which is higher than the $139,328 average annual salary of an engineering manager.
The top three skills for an engineering manager include java, project management and continuous improvement. The most important skills for a senior engineering manager are java, architecture, and cloud.
| Engineering Manager | Senior Engineering Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $139,328 | $155,753 |
| Hourly rate | $66.98 | $74.88 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 67,124 | 70,918 |
| Job satisfaction | 4.33 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
An engineering manager is responsible for managing the overall concept of engineering and construction projects, ensuring that the plan meets the budget goals and the client's specifications. Engineering managers approve designs, plan strategic procedures to follow the project's timetable, analyze current market trends, hire the best and efficient contractors, and coordinate with the clients for any changes and adjustments as needed. An engineering manager must have excellent knowledge of engineering disciplines, as well as leadership and communication skills, monitoring the team's performance throughout the project.
Senior engineering managers are the leaders who oversee and supervise a team of engineers. These executives are the ones who develop, modify, create, and test solutions to technical-related problems. They direct and coordinate the production, quality assurance, maintenance, operations, or testing in industrial plants. It is part of their job to handle the research and development of new procedures and products. They are also involved in improving the advance scientific research and manufacturing processes of the company.
Engineering managers and senior engineering managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Manager | Senior Engineering Manager | |
| Average salary | $139,328 | $155,753 |
| Salary range | Between $99,000 And $195,000 | Between $110,000 And $218,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Mixpanel | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an engineering manager and a senior engineering manager in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Manager | Senior Engineering Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor |
Here are the differences between engineering managers' and senior engineering managers' demographics:
| Engineering Manager | Senior Engineering Manager | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.2% White, 71.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 2.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 17.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |