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The differences between senior electrical engineers and contracting 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 engineer, becoming a contracting engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $109,315 average annual salary of a senior electrical engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electrical engineer include control systems, electrical equipment and electrical systems. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,315 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $52.56 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,639 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A senior electrical engineer is an individual who leads other engineers to review electrical design plans and analyze existing electrical systems. Senior electrical engineers must establish relationships with clients, vendors, and suppliers to ensure that projects are completed according to specifications. They create project budgets and produce working schedules and company regulations to make sure that a safe and positive working environment is achieved. Senior electrical engineers must be passionate about engineering development by attending electrical conferences and events.
A contracting engineer specializes in overseeing engineering projects, focusing on the legalities of contracts between clients and engineers to ensure fairness in all parties involved. Most of their duties are administrative, such as gathering and analyzing data, conducting research and analyses, setting budgets and guidelines, drafting commercial tenders and other paperwork, maintaining records, and executing contracts. They are also responsible for handling contract issues and concerns, solving them promptly and efficiently. Additionally, a contracting engineer maintains an open communication line with all parties to ensure a smooth workflow.
Senior electrical engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,315 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Washington | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electrical engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.8% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 15.5% White, 63.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 11.8% White, 70.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |