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The differences between optical design engineers and design 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 optical design engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, an optical design engineer has an average salary of $94,750, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for an optical design engineer include optical design, MATLAB and zemax. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Optical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,750 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $45.55 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 49,731 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An optical design engineer is an optics specialists who uses their scientific skills to design solutions and solve optical problems. Optical design engineers are essential in the field of laser technology, telescopes, optical lenses, and fiber optics. You will be responsible for designing and building devices that enable better utilization of optics technology and requires in-depth scientific optical knowledge as well as high technical design abilities. Optical design engineers are problem solvers in the field of optics.
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.
Optical design engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,750 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $125,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an optical design engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Optical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between optical design engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Optical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 17.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 6% | 5% |