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The differences between optical engineers and photonics 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 $96,918 average annual salary of a photonics engineer.
The top three skills for an optical engineer include zemax, data analysis and optical components. The most important skills for a photonics engineer are modulators, labview, and fiber optic.
| Optical Engineer | Photonics Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,814 | $96,918 |
| Hourly rate | $47.99 | $46.60 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 26,628 | 3,393 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
Optical engineers and photonics engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Optical Engineer | Photonics Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,814 | $96,918 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $140,000 | Between $65,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Albuquerque, NM |
| Highest paying state | California | New Mexico |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | - |
There are a few differences between an optical engineer and a photonics engineer in terms of educational background:
| Optical Engineer | Photonics Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 44% |
| Most common major | Physics | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | Carnegie Mellon University |
Here are the differences between optical engineers' and photonics engineers' demographics:
| Optical Engineer | Photonics Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.2% Female, 13.8% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| 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, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% Asian, 18.3% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |