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The differences between refrigeration engineers and 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 refrigeration engineer and a design engineer. Additionally, a refrigeration engineer has an average salary of $88,921, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a refrigeration engineer include HVAC, freon and plumbing. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Refrigeration Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,921 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $42.75 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 64,405 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Refrigeration engineers are generally called to design and oversee the fabrication of both residential and industrial refrigeration systems, as well as troubleshoot any potential problems therewith. This choice of career will require a good knowledge base of thermodynamics, as well as computer-aided design systems. Refrigeration engineers must also have an understanding of health and safety regulation standards.
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.
Refrigeration engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Refrigeration Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,921 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $125,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Standex International | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a refrigeration engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Refrigeration Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 43% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Heating And Air Conditioning | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Duke University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between refrigeration engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Refrigeration Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 99.0% Female, 1.0% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 5% |