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The differences between lead design engineers and staff engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a lead design engineer and a staff engineer. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $107,530 average annual salary of a staff engineer.
The top three skills for a lead design engineer include CAD, project management and lead design. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Lead Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,490 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $52.16 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 118,073 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
Staff engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and inspecting various products, equipment, or structures. These professionals may perform varied duties depending on their specialization that includes overseeing the design and construction of buildings, bridges, sewer systems, and other infrastructure, estimating the financial costs of construction projects, and ensuring compliance with health and safety laws and regulations. Other duties include designing and developing machinery, tools, and engines, solving design problems, and building the manufacturing equipment needed to create their products.
Lead design engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,490 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $143,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Agriculture | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead design engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead design engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Lead Design Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |