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The differences between fire sprinkler designers and senior fire protection engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a senior fire protection engineer has an average salary of $97,290, which is higher than the $58,386 average annual salary of a fire sprinkler designer.
The top three skills for a fire sprinkler designer include fire protection, NFPA and hydraulic calculations. The most important skills for a senior fire protection engineer are fire protection, NFPA, and project management.
| Fire Sprinkler Designer | Senior Fire Protection Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,386 | $97,290 |
| Hourly rate | $28.07 | $46.77 |
| Growth rate | 4% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 47,442 | 13,102 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
A fire sprinkler designer is in charge of designing and developing sprinkler systems to prevent or aid fire. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis, utilizing feedback from customers and other experts, producing prototypes or samples, and coordinating with engineers and technicians. Furthermore, a fire sprinkler designer may design upgrades and enhancements, create testing structures, take part in installing and repairing systems, and conduct regular maintenance checks to ensure the fire sprinkler systems' quality and efficiency.
As a senior fire protection engineer, you need to study the architecture and design of the infrastructure properly so that you can suggest various methods of protecting it from fires. You need to work on the fire prevention methods of the infrastructure so that you can save thousands of lives. You need to do extensive study on fire science and engineering in a mechanical or structural course. You need to spend a lot of time between architects and interior designers so that they can provide you with much knowledge regarding the infrastructure and construction of buildings.
Also, you need to focus on engineering design and installation. You have to be aware of the various fire prevention systems such as fire alarm or sprinkler systems and be able to install the fire alarms and suppression systems in buildings. You also need to create evacuation portals and stairwells within the company. To qualify for this position, a bachelor's in fire science and engineering is a must.
Fire sprinkler designers and senior fire protection engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Fire Sprinkler Designer | Senior Fire Protection Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,386 | $97,290 |
| Salary range | Between $41,000 And $81,000 | Between $63,000 And $148,000 |
| Highest paying City | Roseville, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | West Virginia |
| Best paying company | Tyco SimplexGrinnell | Technip USA Corporation |
| Best paying industry | Government | - |
There are a few differences between a fire sprinkler designer and a senior fire protection engineer in terms of educational background:
| Fire Sprinkler Designer | Senior Fire Protection Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 48% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Fire Science And Protection |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between fire sprinkler designers' and senior fire protection engineers' demographics:
| Fire Sprinkler Designer | Senior Fire Protection Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.0% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 9.6% White, 69.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 13.5% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |