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The differences between senior electrical design engineers and system design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a senior electrical design engineer and a system design engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical design engineer has an average salary of $112,599, which is higher than the $107,704 average annual salary of a system design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electrical design engineer include electrical design, RF and PCB. The most important skills for a system design engineer are system design, architecture, and MATLAB.
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,599 | $107,704 |
| Hourly rate | $54.13 | $51.78 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 92,795 | 113,582 |
| Job satisfaction | 4 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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 system design engineer is an individual who participates in system design engineering and resolves manufacturing and service problems. System design engineers are required to collaborate with the system design team to research emerging technologies and develop new capabilities. They create design layouts by utilizing the use of CAD software such as AutoCad as well as supervise a group of CAD technicians. System design engineers must also provide customer service in the field and deliver individualized problem solving and system design support
Senior electrical design engineers and system design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,599 | $107,704 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $145,000 | Between $77,000 And $149,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Rivian | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical design engineer and a system design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electrical design engineers' and system design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Design Engineer | System Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.4% Female, 6.6% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.4% Asian, 15.4% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |