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The differences between junior design engineers and senior designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a junior design engineer, becoming a senior designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a senior designer has an average salary of $102,058, 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 designer are sketch, graphic design, and human centered design.
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $59,383 | $102,058 |
| Hourly rate | $28.55 | $49.07 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 122,180 | 47,503 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 1 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
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.
Senior designers are typically in charge of realizing design solutions that adhere to the business goals and marketing strategies of an organization. They should be comfortable managing graphics designers and making decisions. They must have extensive knowledge of styles, layout techniques, and graphic design while also managing projects and people effectively. Senior designers have a variety of duties, which include delegating tasks to junior designers, maintaining high-quality standards, and collaborating to improve digital creativity standards.
Junior design engineers and senior designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Designer | |
| Average salary | $59,383 | $102,058 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $86,000 | Between $72,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Washington |
| Best paying company | Micron Technology | Lyft |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Media |
There are a few differences between a junior design engineer and a senior designer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between junior design engineers' and senior designers' demographics:
| Junior Design Engineer | Senior Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% |
| 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, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 13% |