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The differences between engineering technician leads and senior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become an engineering technician lead, becoming a senior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $107,373 average annual salary of an engineering technician lead.
The top three skills for an engineering technician lead include java, python and C++. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Engineering Technician Lead | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,373 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $51.62 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | - | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 102,504 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 6 |
Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement. They must work with both product development and manufacturing engineers to improve the existing manufacturing processes. Engineering technician leads must also participate in activities related to maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Engineering technician leads and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Engineering Technician Lead | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,373 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $142,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an engineering technician lead and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Engineering Technician Lead | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between engineering technician leads' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Engineering Technician Lead | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 50 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 5% |