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The differences between material engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a material engineer has an average salary of $86,258, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a material engineer include DOD, failure analysis and data analysis. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Material Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $86,258 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $41.47 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 89,717 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
Materials engineers are responsible for developing, processing, and testing materials used to create a wide variety of products. These professionals study and evaluate the properties and structure of different materials, including plastics, metal, ceramics, and composites, to create new products. They also perform other tasks that include providing technical advice on suitable materials, diagnosing faults, and providing advice on planning and conducting inspections, repairs, and maintenance. Additionally, they may also oversee the work of other scientists like technicians and evaluate the technical and economic factors surrounding the design aspects of products.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Material engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Material Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $86,258 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $113,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a material engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Material Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Materials Science And Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between material engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Material Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.1% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.0% Asian, 19.6% White, 66.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 5% |