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The differences between process design engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a process design engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a process design engineer has an average salary of $89,834, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a process design engineer include project management, process engineering and CAD. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Process Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $89,834 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $43.19 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 93,788 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Process Design Engineer designs various products, including required calculation, component selection, and determining the methods of construction. They are responsible for the safety management of the projects.
A design engineer is responsible for creating systems and applications based on their expertise. Design engineers work through client specifications based on business needs. A design engineer also provides recommendations on improving existing systems to boost its performance and increase efficiency. Design engineers must have an excellent command of computer systems, programming codes, and technical data to ensure the system's stability and high-quality processes. A design engineer should also have strong analytical and time-management skills to perform tasks and meet deadlines.
Process design engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Process Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $89,834 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $116,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Texas | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Energy | Technology |
There are a few differences between a process design engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Process Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Chemical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between process design engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Process Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.8% Female, 19.2% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 15.2% White, 66.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.2% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |