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The differences between junior design engineers and senior 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 senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, 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 senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,383 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $28.55 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
Junior design engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $59,383 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a junior design engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineers' demographics:
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |