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The differences between lead design engineers and lead 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 lead design engineer, becoming a lead designer takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a lead designer has an average salary of $110,001, which is higher than the $108,490 average annual salary of a lead design engineer.
The top three skills for a lead design engineer include CAD, project management and lead design. The most important skills for a lead designer are sketch, user experience, and architecture.
| Lead Design Engineer | Lead Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,490 | $110,001 |
| Hourly rate | $52.16 | $52.89 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 118,073 | 45,423 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 12 |
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
A lead designer is responsible for addressing the clients' needs of digital content and coordinating with the design team for the planning and innovation of the visual design and concept. Lead designers conduct the initial layout of frameworks and collaborate with the art staff for the specifications and outputs using various software applications and digital boards. They regularly update the client of the project's status, including adjustment and design recommendations, ensuring that the plan meets the client's budget goals. A lead designer must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially on running diagnostic tests to improve optimal performance.
Lead design engineers and lead designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Design Engineer | Lead Designer | |
| Average salary | $108,490 | $110,001 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $143,000 | Between $78,000 And $154,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Agriculture | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a lead design engineer and a lead designer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Design Engineer | Lead Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between lead design engineers' and lead designers' demographics:
| Lead Design Engineer | Lead Designer | |
| Average age | 41 | 38 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 73.2% Female, 26.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% 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% |