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The differences between project lead 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 project lead engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a project lead engineer has an average salary of $106,946, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a project lead engineer include project management, renewable energy and project execution. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Project Lead Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,946 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $51.42 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 98,018 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
Project lead engineers are engineering professionals who are responsible for leading other professionals in completing a particular project. These engineers must develop a project management framework to be implemented throughout the organization based on the inputs from internal stakeholders and team members. They are required to train junior team members so that they can provide proper technical support functions. Project lead engineers must also prepare and review cost estimates for a variety of projects during bidding, construction, and post-construction phases.
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.
Project lead engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Project Lead Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,946 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $146,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a project lead engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Project Lead Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between project lead engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Project Lead Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.8% Female, 13.2% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.3% 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% |