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The differences between lighting designers and senior industrial designers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a lighting designer and a senior industrial designer. Additionally, a senior industrial designer has an average salary of $74,758, which is higher than the $53,542 average annual salary of a lighting designer.
The top three skills for a lighting designer include revit, photoshop and light fixtures. The most important skills for a senior industrial designer are industrial design, solidworks, and CAD.
| Lighting Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Yearly salary | $53,542 | $74,758 |
| Hourly rate | $25.74 | $35.94 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 46,203 | 52,343 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Lighting Designers are responsible for developing and implementing electrical and lighting systems. They are responsible for conducting site assessment and analysis, liaise with clients and engineers to determine technical specifications, design lighting plans, create budget reports for a project initiated, track progress targets, install electrical and lighting systems and ensures installation adheres to local energy regulation as well as building codes. Lighting designers work in commercial, industrial, or residential spaces and must demonstrate computer software proficiency such as AutoCAD and Adobe Creative Suites.
A senior industrial designer specializes in designing and developing ideas into manufactured products. Most of their responsibilities revolve around conducting extensive research and analysis to identify what the product will be and who will use it, conceptualize plans and designs, create sketches and blueprints, utilize software and other tools to come up with virtual models, and present prototypes to clients. They must also develop guidelines and specifications according to the project's requirements. Moreover, as a senior industrial engineer, they must lead and serve as a role model to junior designers, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Lighting designers and senior industrial designers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lighting Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Average salary | $53,542 | $74,758 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $83,000 | Between $46,000 And $121,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Berkeley, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Rivian | |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a lighting designer and a senior industrial designer in terms of educational background:
| Lighting Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 79% |
| Most common major | Theatre | Graphic Design |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between lighting designers' and senior industrial designers' demographics:
| Lighting Designer | Senior Industrial Designer | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.0% Female, 35.0% | Male, 91.5% Female, 8.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 1.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 10.1% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |