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The differences between pcb designers and staff 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 a pcb designer and a staff design engineer. Additionally, a staff design engineer has an average salary of $128,071, 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 staff design engineer are architecture, RF, and CAD.
| PCB Designer | Staff Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $74,841 | $128,071 |
| Hourly rate | $35.98 | $61.57 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 72,971 | 154,963 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| 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.
Staff design engineers are tasked to assess the efficiency of instruments, technologies, and equipment by collaborating with the engineering team to plan, design, and develop technologies efficiently. Their responsibilities include building and setting up, as wells as improving systems and procedures. They should possess strong attention to detail, good visual and spatial awareness, creativity, problem-solving, excellent verbal, written, and project management skills, and strong mathematical and IT skills to become efficient and effective staff design engineers.
Pcb designers and staff design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| PCB Designer | Staff Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $74,841 | $128,071 |
| Salary range | Between $48,000 And $116,000 | Between $89,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | Berkeley, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | HBO |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a pcb designer and a staff design engineer in terms of educational background:
| PCB Designer | Staff Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Northeastern University |
Here are the differences between pcb designers' and staff design engineers' demographics:
| PCB Designer | Staff Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 85.4% Female, 14.6% | Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 23.8% White, 57.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |