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The differences between optical engineers and development engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an optical engineer has an average salary of $99,814, which is higher than the $93,206 average annual salary of a development engineer.
The top three skills for an optical engineer include zemax, data analysis and optical components. The most important skills for a development engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Optical Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,814 | $93,206 |
| Hourly rate | $47.99 | $44.81 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 26,628 | 224,881 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
An Optical Engineer designs optical devices to be used in eyewear, telescopes, cameras, and lasers. They ensure that optical and electronic components meet all given specifications.
A Development Engineer is responsible for the development and validation of products, systems, and components. They are also responsible for quality control of work and continuous improvement of engineer activities.
Optical engineers and development engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,814 | $93,206 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $140,000 | Between $70,000 And $122,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between an optical engineer and a development engineer in terms of educational background:
| Optical Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Physics | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between optical engineers' and development engineers' demographics:
| Optical Engineer | Development Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 85.5% Female, 14.5% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.6% Asian, 27.1% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.7% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |