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The differences between laser engineers and research 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 research engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a research engineer has an average salary of $96,945, which is higher than the $85,319 average annual salary of a laser engineer.
The top three skills for a laser engineer include MATLAB, data collection and labview. The most important skills for a research engineer are python, java, and software development.
| Laser Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,319 | $96,945 |
| Hourly rate | $41.02 | $46.61 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 4,901 | 136,763 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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.
Research Engineers are responsible for a wide range of duties, including researching and developing new technologies and prototypes, and finding solutions to improve techniques, procedures, and technologies.
Laser engineers and research engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Laser Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,319 | $96,945 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $116,000 | Between $67,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Booz Allen Hamilton | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a laser engineer and a research engineer in terms of educational background:
| Laser Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Physics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between laser engineers' and research engineers' demographics:
| Laser Engineer | Research Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.8% Female, 5.2% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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, 16.9% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |