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The differences between senior electrical engineers and electrical 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 engineer and an electrical design engineer. Additionally, a senior electrical engineer has an average salary of $109,315, which is higher than the $83,944 average annual salary of an electrical design engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electrical engineer include control systems, electrical equipment and electrical systems. The most important skills for an electrical design engineer are electrical design, revit, and electrical systems.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,315 | $83,944 |
| Hourly rate | $52.56 | $40.36 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 82,639 | 87,121 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 2 |
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.
An electrical design engineer develops electrical systems for different applications. Electrical design engineers create system layouts and specifications. They test the systems and make some adjustments whenever necessary. The solutions they create range from component designs to large systems. The set of skills imperative for this job include good technical abilities, teamwork, motivation for extra work hours, ability to execute job under pressure, and enthusiasm. They should also be savvy in technology and innovation.
Senior electrical engineers and electrical design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,315 | $83,944 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $63,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Washington |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical engineer and an electrical design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 75% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electrical engineers' and electrical design engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Electrical Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 89.9% Female, 10.1% |
| 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, 4.9% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.3% Asian, 14.4% White, 64.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 6% |