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The differences between laser engineers and junior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a laser engineer, becoming a junior engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a laser engineer has an average salary of $85,319, which is higher than the $70,653 average annual salary of a junior engineer.
The top three skills for a laser engineer include MATLAB, data collection and labview. The most important skills for a junior engineer are control systems, java, and C++.
| Laser Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,319 | $70,653 |
| Hourly rate | $41.02 | $33.97 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 4,901 | 107,703 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A laser engineer is one who specializes in making and developing laser devices or machines that is for laser purposes. They supervises the laser team in operating and ensuring that all laser-related equipment is functioning well. They can also specialize in doing advanced optics or optic devices. Their responsibilities include the regular monitoring and optimization of laser outputs as well as finding out a reasonable solution on how to handles laser issues that will be arising.
A Junior Engineer helps design, build, or maintain engines, machines, or public works. They work under the supervision of an engineer.
Laser engineers and junior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,319 | $70,653 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $116,000 | Between $54,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a laser engineer and a junior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laser Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Physics | Civil Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between laser engineers' and junior engineers' demographics:
| Laser Engineer | Junior Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 18.0% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |