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The differences between senior electrical design engineers and design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a senior electrical design engineer, becoming a design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior electrical design engineer has an average salary of $112,599, which is higher than the $77,134 average annual salary of a design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electrical design engineer include electrical design, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a design engineer are C++, UL, and project management.
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,599 | $77,134 |
| Hourly rate | $54.13 | $37.08 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 92,795 | 138,173 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior electrical design engineer specializes in designing and developing small and large-scale electrical systems and structures. They may work in different industries such as telecommunications, power generation, and even manufacturing. Their duties typically include identifying and meeting the needs of clients or companies, producing and presenting drafts and diagrams, managing budgets and schedules, and establishing guidelines for a smooth and safe workflow. Above all, as a senior engineer, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to fellow engineers, all while implementing the company's safety regulations and policies.
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.
Senior electrical design engineers and design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,599 | $77,134 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $145,000 | Between $57,000 And $102,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical design engineer and a design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electrical design engineers' and design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 14.3% White, 64.4% 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 | 6% | 5% |