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The differences between operations engineers and senior engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both an operations engineer and a senior engineer. Additionally, a senior engineer has an average salary of $108,743, which is higher than the $91,522 average annual salary of an operations engineer.
The top three skills for an operations engineer include python, cloud and AWS. The most important skills for a senior engineer are java, python, and architecture.
| Operations Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $91,522 | $108,743 |
| Hourly rate | $44.00 | $52.28 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 155,188 | 343,200 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An operations engineer is an individual who is responsible for ensuring that the operations of a company are working properly in industries such as manufacturing or shipping. Operations engineers are required to handle repairs or upgrades to the company's machinery and coordinate with department heads to assist in fine-tuning their operations system. When they have upgraded their system, operations engineers should conduct training with managers as well as employees and other workers. They are also required to examine machinery for defects and communicate maintenance schedules with department heads.
A senior engineer is responsible for overseeing all operations within a designated area. With years of experience and expertise, a senior engineer may take charge of establishing goals, deadlines, and budgets for a particular project. They must devise and implement strategies that would improve the quality of workflow and deliver significant results. Furthermore, a senior manager must also supervise a team of skilled engineers, leading them in the joint effort to reach the company's vision and mission, all while adhering to the safety standards and regulations.
Operations engineers and senior engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Operations Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average salary | $91,522 | $108,743 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $132,000 | Between $82,000 And $144,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an operations engineer and a senior engineer in terms of educational background:
| Operations Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between operations engineers' and senior engineers' demographics:
| Operations Engineer | Senior Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% | Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.6% White, 72.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |