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The differences between pcb designers and customer engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a pcb designer and a customer engineer. Additionally, a customer engineer has an average salary of $101,212, which is higher than the $74,841 average annual salary of a pcb designer.
The top three skills for a pcb designer include RF, DFM and pcb layout. The most important skills for a customer engineer are customer service, technical problems, and level agreements.
| PCB Designer | Customer Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,841 | $101,212 |
| Hourly rate | $35.98 | $48.66 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 72,971 | 44,709 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
PCB designers are professionals who use computer software programs to design printed circuit boards (PCBs), an electronic circuit that supports electronic components such as transistors, diodes, and capacitors. These designers must design and implement various circuit boards and perform revisions to apply changes that are based on the specifications of customers and engineers. They need to collaborate with the companies that fabricate and assemble PCBs to discuss the quality, cost-effective, and timely deliveries of PCBs. PCB designers must also use AutoCAD software to design schematics for the PCB systems.
A customer engineer provides technical support to organizations having issues with their products or services. Duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the sector, but generally include diagnosing and troubleshooting technical problems with products, performing tests, upgrades and diagnostics to prevent delay or downtime caused by-product issues, and keeping updated reports outlining the problems and measures taken to resolve them. A customer engineer is also responsible for discussing service contracts and their benefits with clients.
Pcb designers and customer engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| PCB Designer | Customer Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,841 | $101,212 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $116,000 | Between $77,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a pcb designer and a customer engineer in terms of educational background:
| PCB Designer | Customer Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pcb designers' and customer engineers' demographics:
| PCB Designer | Customer Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 90.4% Female, 9.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.6% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 14.5% White, 64.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |