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The differences between senior electronic engineers and contracting engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior electronic engineer and a contracting engineer. Additionally, a contracting engineer has an average salary of $122,620, which is higher than the $106,931 average annual salary of a senior electronic engineer.
The top three skills for a senior electronic engineer include power electronics, analog and C++. The most important skills for a contracting engineer are C++, C #, and R.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,931 | $122,620 |
| Hourly rate | $51.41 | $58.95 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 63,815 | 115,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Senior Electronics Engineer is responsible for the directive development of communication systems, the field support design, equipment modifications, and technical issuances. This position demands knowledge in applied engineering principles to analyze and test electronic system performances or applications, technical documentation, producing engineering prototypes, and developing software. These professionals work with different equipment, from phones to PCs and even medical equipment or military systems. A Senior Electronics Engineer's tasks include checking the quality of the equipment they are using and ensuring that projects are cost-efficient, completed on time, and safe.
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 electronic engineers and contracting engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,931 | $122,620 |
| Salary range | Between $80,000 And $141,000 | Between $86,000 And $173,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Apple | EquiLend |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Professional |
There are a few differences between a senior electronic engineer and a contracting engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between senior electronic engineers' and contracting engineers' demographics:
| Senior Electronic Engineer | Contracting Engineer | |
| Average age | 45 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.3% Female, 3.7% | Male, 88.2% Female, 11.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 15.9% White, 63.5% 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% |