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The differences between hardware development engineers and senior staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hardware development engineer, becoming a senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, which is higher than the $119,370 average annual salary of a hardware development engineer.
The top three skills for a hardware development engineer include hardware development, analog and PCB. The most important skills for a senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Hardware Development Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $119,370 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $57.39 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 100,593 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A hardware development engineer carries out an analysis of the requirements of a needed product and tries to develop a prototype, taking into consideration the cost and specifications. You're also expected to work on already existing products and seek ways to modify them. You will be in charge of your team members and oversee all they do. Some of the hardware you may be required to design and test includes microprocessors, routers, keyboards, circuit boards, etc.
A senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Hardware development engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Development Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $119,370 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $88,000 And $161,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a hardware development engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Development Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 77% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between hardware development engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Hardware Development Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 29.7% White, 50.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |