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The differences between junior design engineers and lead 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 lead engineer. Additionally, a lead engineer has an average salary of $84,927, 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 lead engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Junior Design Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,383 | $84,927 |
| Hourly rate | $28.55 | $40.83 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 301,777 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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 lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
Junior design engineers and lead engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Design Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average salary | $59,383 | $84,927 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $60,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Hawaii |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a junior design engineer and a lead engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Design Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between junior design engineers' and lead engineers' demographics:
| Junior Design Engineer | Lead Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |