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The differences between lead 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 engineer and a staff engineer. Additionally, a staff engineer has an average salary of $107,530, which is higher than the $84,927 average annual salary of a lead engineer.
The top three skills for a lead engineer include java, python and architecture. The most important skills for a staff engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Lead Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,927 | $107,530 |
| Hourly rate | $40.83 | $51.70 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 301,777 | 277,011 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A lead engineer's duties vary on their line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities will revolve around overseeing the progress of operations and performance of the workforce, ensuring that everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for addressing issues and concerns, assessing risks, monitoring the budget, coordinating with clients and architects, and even training workers. Furthermore, as a lead engineer, it is crucial to conduct regular inspections to ensure the quality of work and maintain a safe environment for all workers.
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 engineers and staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,927 | $107,530 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $120,000 | Between $69,000 And $167,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Flexport |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a lead engineer and a staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Lead Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 74% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead engineers' and staff engineers' demographics:
| Lead Engineer | Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.8% Female, 9.2% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.7% 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% |