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The differences between senior design specialists and senior 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 senior design engineer. Additionally, a senior design engineer has an average salary of $104,698, 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 senior design engineer are CAD, project management, and RF.
| Senior Design Specialist | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,923 | $104,698 |
| Hourly rate | $46.60 | $50.34 |
| Growth rate | 2% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 45,603 | 127,035 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 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.
Senior design specialists and senior design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Design Specialist | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,923 | $104,698 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $131,000 | Between $80,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Cupertino, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior design specialist and a senior design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Design Specialist | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Design Specialist | Senior Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 74.9% Female, 25.1% | Male, 91.8% Female, 8.2% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.1% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |