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The differences between senior electrical engineers and senior staff 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 senior staff engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior staff engineer has an average salary of $136,031, 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 senior staff engineer are python, java, and architecture.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $109,315 | $136,031 |
| Hourly rate | $52.56 | $65.40 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 82,639 | 239,752 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| 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 senior staff engineer is responsible for supervising a team of engineers, chemists, software developers, or molecular biologists. His/Her or her responsibilities include generating Structured Query Language (SQL) performance audit checklist template, creating SQL data query routines and functions for data extraction, and working directly with stakeholders. The job requires strong mechanical, listening, and mathematical skills and proficiency in Python programming language and computer architecture and hardware. The education requirements for the job include a bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering, business, mechanical engineering, or a related field.
Senior electrical engineers and senior staff engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average salary | $109,315 | $136,031 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $144,000 | Between $95,000 And $194,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior electrical engineer and a senior staff engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
Here are the differences between senior electrical engineers' and senior staff engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electrical Engineer | Senior Staff Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 78.4% Female, 21.6% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.8% Asian, 16.8% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 5% |