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The differences between senior design specialists and lead 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 senior design specialist and a lead design engineer. Additionally, a lead design engineer has an average salary of $108,490, which is higher than the $96,923 average annual salary of a senior design specialist.
The top three skills for a senior design specialist include sketch, SR and design solutions. The most important skills for a lead design engineer are CAD, project management, and lead design.
| Senior Design Specialist | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,923 | $108,490 |
| Hourly rate | $46.60 | $52.16 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,603 | 118,073 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior design specialist's main responsibility is managing design projects and delivering them within the deadlines. They have to also look after the junior designers and ensure that the quality of designs meets company standards.
A Lead Design Engineer produces design solutions that can be purchased, installed, and commissioned effectively. They are also responsible for the cost-effectiviness and safety of new designs.
Senior design specialists and lead design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Specialist | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,923 | $108,490 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $82,000 And $143,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Agriculture |
There are a few differences between a senior design specialist and a lead design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Specialist | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Drafting And Design | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Carnegie Mellon University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior design specialists' and lead design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Specialist | Lead Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 10.4% White, 72.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | Black or African American, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 8.9% Asian, 15.5% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |