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The differences between junior design engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a junior design engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a design engineer has an average salary of $77,134, which is higher than the $59,383 average annual salary of a junior design engineer.
The top three skills for a junior design engineer include engineering drawings, solidworks and auto cad. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Junior Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,383 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $28.55 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Junior Design Engineers are responsible for providing design assistance and administrative engineering support for an organization. Their duties include designing 3-dimensional models and prototypes, producing detailed drawings, assisting in tender proposal submissions, and documentation for product compliance. They are responsible for managing product literature and crib sheets and generating bills of material (BOM). Junior design engineers also assist in defining product specifications and liaise with stakeholders to obtain design approval. They must possess knowledge in using design software such as AutoCAD, Visualize, and Solidworks.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Junior design engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $59,383 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior design engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between junior design engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Junior Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 16.9% White, 67.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |