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The differences between field electrical engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a field electrical engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a system design engineer has an average salary of $107,704, which is higher than the $86,347 average annual salary of a field electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a field electrical engineer include electrical systems, oil gas and control systems. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Field Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,347 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $41.51 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 97,684 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
Buildings must be safe especially in term of wirings for electricity. This aspect is the main job of a field electrical engineer. Possessing enough mathematical, chemistry and physics knowledge, they work hand in hand with construction workers to develop safe and equitable electrical system of any building. They also test machines for any defect and design and develop new systems to further enhance safety. They have the necessary ability to solve any damage to equipment.
A system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Field electrical engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Field Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,347 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $111,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Vancouver, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a field electrical engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Field Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between field electrical engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Field Electrical Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.2% Female, 5.8% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |