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Junior electrical engineer vs senior electrical engineer

The differences between junior electrical engineers and senior electrical engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a junior electrical engineer and a senior electrical engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $68,365 average annual salary of a junior electrical engineer.

The top three skills for a junior electrical engineer include revit, RF and C++. The most important skills for a senior electrical engineer are control systems, electrical equipment, and electrical systems.

Junior electrical engineer vs senior electrical engineer overview

Junior Electrical EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Yearly salary$68,365$109,315
Hourly rate$32.87$52.56
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs65,16582,639
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4545
Years of experience22

What does a junior electrical engineer do?

A junior electrical engineer specializes in designing and developing electrical systems, ensuring efficiency and safety. In a company setting, a junior electrical engineer typically follows the directives of managers or senior engineers, providing them with regular progress reports. They may also liaise with clients to identify their needs, produce prototypes and designs, coordinate with other technicians and engineers, and manage the workflow of projects and programs, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations. Furthermore, a junior electrical engineer may also participate in training new members of the workforce, sharing their expertise and insights along the way.

What does a senior electrical engineer do?

A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.

Junior electrical engineer vs senior electrical engineer salary

Junior electrical engineers and senior electrical engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Junior Electrical EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Average salary$68,365$109,315
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $95,000Between $82,000 And $144,000
Highest paying CityFoster City, CASeattle, WA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaWashington
Best paying companyAppleApple
Best paying industryConstructionTechnology

Differences between junior electrical engineer and senior electrical engineer education

There are a few differences between a junior electrical engineer and a senior electrical engineer in terms of educational background:

Junior Electrical EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 79%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorElectrical EngineeringElectrical Engineering
Most common collegeMichigan Technological UniversityMichigan Technological University

Junior electrical engineer vs senior electrical engineer demographics

Here are the differences between junior electrical engineers' and senior electrical engineers' demographics:

Junior Electrical EngineerSenior Electrical Engineer
Average age4545
Gender ratioMale, 89.2% Female, 10.8%Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 17.1% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage6%6%

Differences between junior electrical engineer and senior electrical engineer duties and responsibilities

Junior electrical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Design PLC schematics for system relaying and protection.
  • Design RTL modules in Verilog HDL to develop algorithms in Matlab, and verify them by writing test benches.
  • Upgrade a chemical exhaust scrubber with a newer PLC to allow data logging and process monitoring to meet EPA standards.
  • Coordinate with senior electrical engineers and achieve hands-on experience on coal fire plant power generation and power transformers, circuit breakers.
  • Support EMC, ESD transient testing.
  • Show more

Senior electrical engineer example responsibilities.

  • Develop LabVIEW code to automate test procedures and to communicate with units for verification of functionality and accuracy.
  • Design of water/waste water facilities, including microprocessor controls, MCC, SCADA.
  • Develop the motor control algorithms and analog processing for sensing position using motor current feedback.
  • Train crews how to retrofit 2x4 fixtures.
  • Perform dc battery calculations and 2D design of system.
  • Have installed some electrical panel board according to NFPA standards.
  • Show more

Junior electrical engineer vs senior electrical engineer skills

Common junior electrical engineer skills
  • Revit, 10%
  • RF, 7%
  • C++, 7%
  • Electrical Components, 6%
  • UL, 6%
  • Control Systems, 5%
Common senior electrical engineer skills
  • Control Systems, 5%
  • Electrical Equipment, 5%
  • Electrical Systems, 4%
  • Analog, 4%
  • RF, 4%
  • Electrical Design, 4%

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