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The differences between optical design engineers and senior 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 senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $94,750 average annual salary of an optical design engineer.
The top three skills for an optical design engineer include optical design, MATLAB and zemax. The most important skills for a senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Optical Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $94,750 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $45.55 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 49,731 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
Optical design engineers and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $94,750 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $125,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an optical design engineer and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Optical Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between optical design engineers' and senior design engineers' demographics:
| Optical Design Engineer | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.5% Female, 19.5% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |