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The differences between senior design engineers and electrical design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a senior design engineer, becoming an electrical design engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior design engineer include CAD, project management and RF. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Senior Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,698 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $50.34 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 127,035 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A senior design engineer is responsible for creating mechanical and electrical designs for machines and systems, following clients' specifications and business guidelines. Senior design engineers also assist junior design engineers with their tasks, sharing best practices and techniques, and suggesting adjustments as needed. They also oversee the manufacturing process, inspect possible inconsistencies, and revise plans without exceeding the agreed budget or compromising the quality. A senior design engineer must be keen with details and highly organizational, especially on meeting deadlines with the highest client satisfaction.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Senior design engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,698 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $136,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Cupertino, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior design engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior design engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 6% |